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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28752051">A Lion In A Desert Needs A Change of Skin</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dr_SykoPharm_4/pseuds/Dr_SykoPharm_4'>Dr_SykoPharm_4</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Aang &amp; Zuko (Avatar) Friendship, Aang has PTSD, Aang is depressed, Aangst if you will, Also thanks for beta reading ;), Am I projecting onto these characters? Nooo..., Avatar Zuko (Avatar), BUT NO CAKE, Big Brother Sokka (Avatar), But hey Toph, DO NOT MENTION GYATSO'S CAKE, Gen, General Iroh is A Badass, How Do I Tag, Iroh is trying his best, Katara Is A Thief And I Love Her For It, Katara is stressed not depressed, Katara is useful, Lots of Angst, Mentions of War, Mentions of genocide, Minor cursing, My first fic, Other, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Sokka (Avatar), Sokka is a bisexual mess, Sokka is depressed, Spirit Guide Aang (Avatar), Tags will be updated, These next tags are for a friend, This fic is going to be long and trashy, This might come as a surprise but Suki is a Simp, Toph is a gremlin, Toph may also curse but just to annoy them, Turns out Aang curses too he's stressed, Y'all know what's coming, Zuko and Sokka are teens surrounded by children, Zuko is Depressed, maybe a little, yes they will curse</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 03:54:35</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>46,261</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28752051</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dr_SykoPharm_4/pseuds/Dr_SykoPharm_4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Aang isn't who everyone thought he was, he was just protecting who he failed to a hundred years ago. It was his duty, his responsibility... He might have failed her then, but he will not now.</p><p>He was born to serve his people, he was born to end this war, he was born for victory. But, is the victory he was born for meant to be his father's victory too? Zuko has never understood why his uncle cared so much, why his mother left and his sister hated him. What he does know is this feeling in his chest, the feeling of knowing he's not alone anymore. What he doesn't understand is why he's so obsessed with the Air Monk.</p><p>Iroh is the only one who sees it at first, the only one who understands. He is no stranger to lies and deceit, they have been his greatest companions since the day he retreated from Ba Sing Se, the only things keeping him from falling off the deep end. He knows what he has to do to make things right, to restore balance in the Mortal World, he only prays that his beloved nephew can forgive him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aang &amp; Zuko (Avatar), Azula &amp; Iroh &amp; Ozai &amp; Ursa &amp; Zuko (Avatar), Azula &amp; Iroh (Avatar), Azula &amp; Zuko (Avatar), Iroh &amp; Zuko (Avatar), Mai &amp; Ty Lee (Avatar), The Gaang &amp; Zuko (Avatar)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Ahaha this is my first work on AO3 so I'm sorry if it's a little off, I hope you all enjoy! There will be lots of angst in the first few chapters, and I'll do my best to post any TWs for each chapter. I hope you enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Water.</p>
<p>Earth.</p>
<p>Fire.</p>
<p>Air.</p>
<p>My Uncle used to tell me stories about the old days- a time of peace, when the Avatar kept balance between the Water Tribes, Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation, and Air Nomads. That all changed when the Earth Kingdom attacked. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, only he could stop the confused and frightened Earthbenders. But, when the Fire Nation, his home, needed him most- he abandoned them. The Avatar took side with the Earth Kingdom and began a war that would last for a century. The Fire Nation has regretted trusting him ever since, and now understands that the Avatar is our enemy.<b></b></p>
<p>A hundred years have passed, and finally, the Fire Nation is nearing victory in the war. Two years ago, I set off on my journey to find my Father’s greatest enemy, to ensure his victory and to prove my honor to both him, and my nation. Some people believe that the Avatar was never reborn into the Air Nomads, and that the cycle is broken. But I haven’t lost hope. I still believe that somehow, the Avatar will return, and that I will get my chance to regain my right to the throne.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Chapter 1: The Boy In The Iceberg</b>
</p>
<p><b>ACHOO! </b> The sneeze could be heard echoing throughout the labyrinth of ice that surrounded my ship. “Ugh, Prince Zuko, all of this ice isn’t good for my complexion! Not to mention it makes it harder for me to keep my tea warm.” Uncle complains further about his stupid tea and then comments on the ‘nice scenery’ while playing Pai Sho. It really starts to irritate me, especially when we’re all freezing from the stupid cold. If he doesn’t like the cold so much, then maybe he shouldn’t have followed me to the South Pole! “WILL YOU SHUT UP! If the Avatar IS here, you’ll have scared him off with all of your TALKING!” I shout, feeling the warmth of my firebreathe rising in my chest. It isn’t a pleasant kind of warmth. “Prince Zuko, <em> I </em> am not the one <em> yelling </em> , and besides, what would the Avatar be doing here? It is far too cold of a place for a man his age. Why don’t we just go inside and return to port? We can drink some Jasmine or Ginseng tea, play a game of Pai Sho, and take a moment to forget about the missing Avatar, just have some fun. Nice, relaxing fun. I hear there are some lovely porcelain shops in a town a little ways past the port, we could do with adding a homely touch to this old gloomy ship.” Uncle returns to his game after I groan in frustration. I turn back to searching for <em> him </em>.</p>
<p>I sigh deeply and try not to set the front deck on fire, it’s unbecoming of a Firebender to let their emotions take hold of their self control. It is also unbecoming of a royal prince to throw a temper tantrum in front of his crew, something I do not want to repeat… <em> again </em>. The ribbon tying my hair up begins to loosen as I run my hand through my hair. I had thought about cutting it into a Phoenix Plume, but that would have shown that I accepted my fate and my banishment, which I did not. As a member of the royal family, it is my right to wear my top-knot, and I will not be seen as unworthy of my title by anyone. As I search the distant ice, a sudden beam of light shines into the clouds, and I feel a rush of air fill my lungs. It felt as if from the moment I was born till this point, I had finally taken my very first breath of air.</p>
<p>I knew. I knew it in more than my mind, in my <em> soul, </em>that I had found him. That light would lead me straight to the Avatar.</p>
<p>“Finally… Uncle, do you realize what this means?” I ask, turning to see if he saw what I did. “I won’t get to finish my game?” he replies snarkily. “It means my search is about to come to an end.” Uncle sighs, like he’s heard this all before. Admittedly I’ve been wrong before, but for some reason this time I’m certain, it isn’t like the times before. “That light came from an incredibly powerful source. It has to be him!” I’m certain of it. “Or, it’s just the celestial lights. We’ve been down this road before, Prince Zuko.” Ah, and there it is- “I don’t want you to get too excited over nothing. Please, sit. Why don’t you enjoy a cup of calming Jasmine tea?” AGAIN with his stupid<em> tea </em> ! <b>“I DON’T NEED ANY CALMING TEA! I need to capture the Avatar!</b> Helmsman, head a course for the light.” The wind picks up again as the ship gains speed, and the anger and anticipation inside of me, two years worth start to make me shiver. It isn’t from the cold, it’s coming from inside of me, of finally finding what I have needed my entire life. In all of its sixteen years, my body and soul feel whole, I finally feel complete.</p>
<p>_____________________________________________________________________________________</p>
<p>It might have been a stupid idea to break that ice, but when I saw that little boy trapped in there, I just couldn’t stop myself. As the cool mist and the light clears, my brother and I stare in shock at what just occurred. Sokka looks to me with hesitation, and I return his worried glance, before we stand ready to face whatever I may have just unleashed. As we stand, the boy in the iceberg climbs up over the side, the arrow on his head and his eyes glowing. Sokka points up his spear and yells “Stop!”, as the boy stands on the ice cliff’s edge. Suddenly, the light around us fades, and the boy falls forward head first. I gasp and run to catch him, making it just in time to soften the landing. Sokka pokes the boy’s bald head and he groans, trying to wake up, or perhaps in annoyance at my idiot brother’s actions. “Stop it!” I tell him. The boy begins to open his eyes, and gasps when he sees me. He then begins to speak, “I need to ask you something.” “What?” “Please, come closer.” I lean my head closer to his lips, his voice is so hoarse and hard to hear. “ What is it?” I ask, tenderly, it’s possible that he’s dying. Who knows how long he’s been trapped in there? “Will you go penguin-sledding with me?” I blink. What did he just ask me? Penguin-sledding? “Ah… sure! I guess?” I accept, maybe it’s some kind of last request? A gust of air blows up behind him, and he’s on his feet looking like, well, like he isn’t dying. So much for a last request. Sokka shouts in surprise and points his spear at him again, as the boy asks “What’s going on here?” Sokka waves his spear around, “You tell us! How did you get in the ice? And why aren’t you frozen?” “I’m not sure.”</p>
<p>A low growl comes out of nowhere, surprising us again. The boy gasps and races over the ices edge back to its center. As we follow him around the corner to where the ice wall opens up, I see the boy trying to wake a large hairy beast! It must have been the size of the ice spire back at the village! Even though it was huge and scary, it was also kind of cute, and it had kind eyes. Sokka, on the other hand, saw it as a threat, and probably scared the creature with his gaping mouth. The beast uses its giant tongue to lick the boy, lifting him in the process. He giggles and shouts “You’re okay!”, hugging the beast while it stands and shakes out its fur. “What is that thing?” Sokka, ever persistent with his questions, asks. “This is Appa, my flying bison!” “Right. And this is Katara, my flying sister.” The beast growls at Sokka’s stupid joke. Actually, I think it’s starting to sneeze. “LOOK OUT!” I immediately turn away behind my brother and put up my arms defensively. Sokka shrieks as I hear an unpleasant splat, and I look up to see him covered in snot. That’s what you get for being mean to me! He tries desperately to clean it off, but I doubt that stick is gonna come off on its own.</p>
<p>The boy confirms my suspicions with a light-hearted “Don’t worry. It’ll wash out. So, do you guys live around here?” Sokka with his ever so intimidating spear quickly tells me “Don’t answer that! Did you see that crazy bolt of light? He was probably trying to signal the Fire Navy.” I push in front of him, “Oh, yeah. I’m sure he’s a spy for the Fire Navy. You can tell by that eeeevil look in his eye.” The boy smiles goofily and quirks his eyebrow in innocence. “The paranoid one is my brother Sokka. You never told us your name.” I gesture towards the boy, coaxing him to answer. He begins introducing himself, only for a sneeze to overtake him. As he sneezes, the boy flies up into the air with a sudden forceful blast of wind, and then floats gently back down to the ground in front of us. “I’m Aang.” he sniffles. “You just sneezed and flew 10 feet in the air!” Sokka squeaks. “Really? It felt higher than that.” the boy replies, looking to where he flew. </p>
<p>I gasp once more, realization hitting me straight in the head. Of course, he has to be-! “Oh! You're an Airbender!” “Sure am!” Aang smiles. “Giant light beams, flying bison, Airbenders-- I think I got Midnight Sun Madness. I'm going home to where stuff makes sense.” Sokka says, as he walks over to where our canoe was. Or, at least where it was supposed to be. Aang politely offers “Well, if you guys are stuck, Appa and I can give you a lift.” The Airbender boy twirls into the air and gracefully lands on top of the bison’s head. “We’d love a ride. Thanks!” I return. “Oh, no! I am not getting on that fluffy snot monster.” “Are you hoping some other kind of monster will come along and give you a ride home? You know, before you freeze to death?” I taunt. Sokka tries to retort, but gives an exasperated sigh and accepts his fate. As he sits in the saddle, he crosses his arms in a defiant pose. “Okay! First-time flyers, hold on tight! Appa, Yip-Yip!” Aang shouts out a strange phrase to get Appa moving, making the bison groan and lift its massive flat tail in an up and down motion. We soar into the sky and I feel myself start to become weightless, only for us to flop back into the arctic water with a splash. Thankfully, with Appa being so large, none of the freezing water gets on us, and he settles in with a purr. “Come on, Appa, Yip Yip!” Aang tries to encourage Appa into flying, but the bison keeps swimming. “Wow, that was truly amazing.” For once, Sokka, please stop being so mean! “Appa’s just tired. A little rest and he’ll be soaring through the sky. You’ll see.” And Aang, I wish you were a little more comprehensive of my brother’s taunting. He doesn’t deserve you treating him so sweetly. When I look down at Aang, he’s staring at me. “Why are you smiling at me like that?” “Oh, I was smiling?” Aw, so sweet, and oblivious. Sokka groans, bored and upset again. Doesn’t he know what it's like to relax once in a while?</p>
<p>_____________________________________________________________________________________</p>
<p>I stand on the landing in front of the ship’s smokestack, it’s my highest vantage point here, among the ice. I hear Uncle Iroh behind me as he tells me “I’m going to bed now.” He yawns. “Yep. A man needs his rest. Prince Zuko, you need some sleep. Even if you are right and the Avatar<em> is </em> alive, you won’t find him! Your Father, Grandfather, <em> and </em> Great-Grandfather all tried and <em> failed </em> .” At this point I interrupt him, “Because their honor didn’t hinge on the Avatar’s capture. Mine <em> does </em> . This coward’s hundred years in hiding are over.” Uncle sighs and returns to the inner barracks of the ship, I don’t need to turn to see his expression. It’s the same expression he always has in moments like this, that look of knowing something I don’t, and pitying me for not sharing the same knowledge. It doesn’t matter, this time it won’t bother me, because <em> I know </em> that I’ve found him. And he won’t get away.</p>
<p>_____________________________________________________________________________________</p>
<p>It’s going to be dark soon, the air has gotten cooler. We’ve all been quiet for some time now, and these questions in my head keep bugging me. I scoot back over to where Aang is at Appa’s reigns. “Hey.” I start. It’s as safe a beginning as any, right? “Hey. What are you thinking about?” Gosh, is it really that obvious? “I guess I was wondering. You're an Airbender and all… If you had any idea what happened to the Avatar?” Aang’s expression changes, for a moment it almost looks sad, and angry. But, before I can really tell, it morphs into confusion, and he says “Uh, no. I didn’t know he-him. I mean, I knew people that knew him. But I didn’t. Sorry.” I hesitate for a moment on that in my head, but quickly reply “Okay. Just curious. Good night.” and turn back to face Sokka. “Sleep tight.” I hear Aang say, and I lie down to get some rest. I hope Granny isn’t too worried about us.</p>
<p>_____________________________________________________________________________________</p>
<p>Thunder crashes and there’s lightning everywhere, the wind howls louder than anything I’ve ever heard before. The air feels so angry, and I know it’s my fault, it’s trying to turn me back. I jolt up and look out at the great storm that surrounds me, it’s my fault. I scream, trying to navigate Appa and I out of it, but it’s no use, the wind is too strong. The rain stings as it bombards me with its icy droplets, rushing water all around me soaking into my clothes. We crash into the ocean, my eyes and entire body sting from the sudden motion and the salt, I can just barely make out Appa’s blurry form in the darkness. The darkness, it’s overwhelming, it terrifies me thinking of what lurks in the deep, unable to escape it with the storm overhead. We surface only for giant waves shoving us back under, a punishment for what I’ve done, <em>it’s my fault</em>. We crash under, and I start to lose consciousness, the cold seeping into my bones, my lungs burning for air that won’t come when I call. I’m going to die, and <em>it’s my fault</em>. I reach out to the only other person that can hear me, I beg them to save me, <em>please, I don’t want to die</em>. I can feel energy rise within my body, and the world turns to white, they’ve answered my call. I won’t die, I can’t die, not yet, not when I was so close to my freedom, not when I was finally given my choice, I can’t die no matter what. I feel my body move on its own, the spirit inside me acting on my will to live. The water and air surround me, and turns to ice. I feel the cold and the roaring winds begin to fade, and I feel my mind being forced to sleep by the spirit that has taken over my body. It begs me to rest, and I beg it to stay, I refuse to let it leave me, its power is the only thing keeping me alive. As I let my mind rest, I hear someone calling my name faintly, faintly as everything turns to black. Faintly, I hear<br/>
<b>it’s my fault</b>.</p>
<p>_____________________________________________________________________________________</p>
<p>“Aang. Aang, wake up!” Aang jolts awake, gasping for air. I wonder what kind of dream he was having, it must have been a deep dream for him to be so startled. “It’s okay. We’re in the village now. Come on, get ready. Everyone’s waiting to meet you.” I look back at Aang, who’s now completely awake and getting dressed. That’s when I notice the full length of the tattoos; blue arrows that flow all over his body, on all of his limbs and back. I grab his hand and yank him out of the tent, him following behind with a surprised yelp. Sokka’s waiting outside the tent, and follows behind us as we head to where everyone in the village is gathered. “Aang, this is the entire village. Entire village, Aang.” Aang politely bows, holding his staff and his closed fist meeting in front of him. The adults look at him questioningly, while the kids are all timid and curious. I can’t blame them, I was pretty shocked when I met Aang too. He looks nothing like us after all, and growing up during the war means we never really see people from other lands than us. Aang is a lot paler than we all are, and with him being a monk, at least I think he is, aren’t all Airbenders? Anyways, he’s bald, or I should say he doesn’t have hair. Everyone’s hair in the Southern Water Tribe is dark brown or black. I’m one of the few people in the tribe that has light eyes, mine are a bright blue while some others might have a more icy grey. Mostly, people here have black or brown eyes, I think I get mine from my mom. There’s also the glaring difference that could be seen from miles away; Aang was wearing bright orange and yellow clothes, clothes that looked far too light for the cold now that I think about it.</p>
<p>“Uh, why are they all looking at me like that? Did Appa sneeze on me?” My Granny comes towards us and begins speaking to Aang. “Well, no one has seen an Airbender in a hundred years. We thought they were extinct. Until my granddaughter and grandson found you.” Gosh, Granny, he’s a person, not some type of endangered wildlife! Can’t you be a little more subtle than that? I give her a look as Aang cries out “Extinct?” After Granny returns my look with a raised eyebrow, I turn to Aang and introduce her. “Aang, this is my grandmother.” “Call me Gran Gran.” she tries, but her effort to make up for what she said before is lost. Sokka comes out, snatching away Aang’s staff asking “What is this, a weapon? You can’t stab anything with this.” “It’s not for stabbing. It’s for Airbending.” Aang sucked his staff back into his hand, and pressed some kind of button or switch that popped out fans at the base and top of the staff. The fans were orange, and almost looked like a bird’s wings. One of the little girls shouts out “Magic trick! Do it again!” and Aang replies “Not magic, Airbending. It lets me control the air currents around my glider and fly.” Wait, Aang can fly? “You know, last time I checked, Humans. Can’t. FLY!” Sokka, why do you question everything everyone says? “Check again!” And with that, Aang launches into the air, just like a real bird! Now, everyone is crying out applause and cheering as we watch Aang perform tricks and twirls in the air! He zooms all around us, it’s incredible! That is, until he flies head-first into the snow spire Sokka built. He gasps “Oh! My watchtower!”</p>
<p>“That was amazing.” I tell him after he’s landed. “Great. You’re an Airbender, Katara’s a Waterbender. Together you can just waste time all day long.” my brother complains, after having been crushed under a pile of snow that fell off of his precious ‘watchtower’. “You’re a Waterbender!?” Aang looks at me with surprise and curiosity. “Well, sort of. Not yet.” Gran Gran turns to us saying “All right. No more playing. Come on, Katara. You have chores.” I walk back towards our tent with her, waving to Aang goodbye. When we’re far enough away, I turn to her. “I told you. He’s the real thing, Gran Gran. I finally found a bender to teach me.” “Katara, try not to put all your hopes in this boy.” Doesn’t she get it? I can finally learn real Waterbending! He clearly isn’t some fake! “But he’s special. I can tell. I sense he’s filled with much wisdom.” Turning back to look at him, Aang seems to be demonstrating how to freeze his tongue to his staff. Well, maybe not much wisdom, but certainly a little bit?<br/>
_____________________________________________________________________________________</p>
<p>It has been nearly a full day since we last saw the light. By the time my ship managed to maneuver itself to the location, the Avatar was already gone. So far, all I can do is wait for another sign, another mistake of his that will bring me to his location. Currently, I face two of my men, with Uncle guiding me through some Firebending techniques and training. I must become a master of my element if I am to defeat the Avatar, and capture him for good. “Again.” Uncle instructs, and I make the first move before the two crewmates have the chance. With two bursts of flames in their directions, I duck when the one on my left tries to strike my blind spot with his own pillar of flames. The one on my right jumps out at me, fire in tow, while the left strikes again. I jump into the air towards the right to avoid both attacks, and bend my own flames to the left. When I land, we are on opposite sides from before, the right now my left, and the left now my right. Uncle groans, “Aah, no! Power and Firebending come from the breath, not the muscles. The breath becomes energy in the body. The energy extends past your limbs and becomes fire!” He shoots flames in front of me to demonstrate. I don’t flinch, I know Uncle would never hurt me. “Get it right this time.” Even so, that doesn’t stop me from being irritated by his perfectionism. “Enough. I’ve been drilling this sequence all day. Teach me the next set. I’m more than ready.” I say, as I walk to stand in front of him. “No! You are impatient. You have yet to master your basics. Drill it again!” My Uncle can be a kind man, and a foolish one at times too, but when he teaches me I am reminded of his ex-position. I cannot forget that he was once the Fire Nation Army’s greatest general. But, I would at least hope he wouldn’t underestimate me! I turn and attack one of my opponents. He deflects with fire of his own, but it isn’t strong enough. My flames become a cannonball and shove him back off of his feet. I turn back to Uncle, reminding him once again “The sages tell us that the Avatar is the last Airbender. He must be over a hundred years old by now. He’s had a century to master the 4 elements.” Again, Uncle’s eyes flash with that look of knowing. I continue speaking, “I’ll need more than basic Firebending to defeat him.You will teach me the advanced set!” The look mingles with his clear annoyance, I know I’m being arrogant but I don’t have time! “... Very well.” Finally. His face morphs into a relaxed and pleasant grin. Damnit. “But first, I must finish my roast duck. Yum, yum, yum!” Of course, how could I be so foolish!<br/>
_____________________________________________________________________________________</p>
<p>I finally finish my chores and go looking for Aang. Gran Gran says she hasn’t seen him for nearly an hour! I begin looking for him, worried. He’s so young and seems to be confused, he doesn’t seem to really understand what’s going on. I meet up with Sokka, who is having one of his pretend warrior meetings with the young boys in the village, and ask him if he’s seen him. “Have you seen Aang? Gran Gran said he disappeared over an hour ago.” As soon as I say it, I can hear Aang amongst the young boys that just left for a potty break. “Wow! Everything freezes in there.” The kids laugh, and even I give a chuckle at such a childish joke. “Ah! Katara, get him out of here.This lesson is for warriors only.” Barely a second later, Aang has set up some sort of goal post and the kids are using Appa’s back and tail as a slide. They launch themselves off of Appa’s tail and over the bar, falling into a soft pile of snow. It actually looks pretty fun! I laugh along with them as Sokka races over to Aang, probably to try and end all of our fun. “STOP! STOP IT RIGHT NOW!” He reaches Aang where he is on top of Appa, asking “What’s wrong with you? We don’t have time for fun and games with a war going on!” Aang slides off of Appa, and asks “What war? What are you talking about?” What war? What is Aang saying? “You’re kidding, right?” Before Sokka can get an answer, Aang’s face goes all funny before he yells out “PENGUIN!!!” and runs off after it. My brother turns to me, “He’s kidding, right?” I have no idea.</p>
<p>I follow behind Aang, calling out to him once I’ve lost his tracks in the snow. “Aang!” I find him amongst the otter penguins at an edge of ice that meets water. He’s laughing, calling out “Hey, come on, little guy! Wanna go sledding?” He falls into the snow after attempting to catch one, and gets up when I stand next to him. He laughs again and says to me “I have a way with animals.” Aang then starts yacking, pretending to be an otter penguin, which I of course laugh at. “Aang, I’ll help you catch a penguin if you teach me Waterbending.” As he’s being dragged while holding onto one’s tail, he replies “You got a deal. Just one little problem. I’m an Airbender, not a Waterbender. Isn’t there someone in your tribe who can teach you?” I look away and sigh, “No. You’re looking at the only Waterbender in the whole South Pole.”<br/>
Behind me, I hear Aang say “This isn’t right. A Waterbender needs to master water. What about the North Pole? There’s another Water Tribe up there, right? Maybe they have Waterbenders who could teach you.” I turn back at his suggestion, “Maybe, but we haven’t had contact with our sister tribe in a long time. It’s not exactly ‘turn right at the second glacier’. It’s on the other side of the world!” “But you forget. I have a Flying Bison. Appa and I can personally fly you to the North Pole. Katara, we’re gonna find you a master.” I can’t believe it, Aang would really do that for me? I’m speechless! “That’s--I mean… I don’t know. I’ve never left home before.” Aang looks at me kindly, knowing in his eyes. There’s the wisdom from before. “Well, you think about it. But in the meantime, can you teach me to catch one of these penguins?” I stand taller, mimicking a wisened master, “Okay. Listen closely, my young pupil. Catching penguins is an ancient and sacred art. Observe.” And with that, I pull out a fish I’d been hiding in one of my coat’s inner pockets, and hold it up for the otter penguins to see. I then toss it into Aang’s hands, just as all of them start to crowd around him.</p>
<p>We’ve climbed up onto a cliff with our penguins ready, and begin our awesome adventure. We’re sliding around, through tunnels and turns, side by side, laughing the whole way down. “I haven’t done this since I was a kid!” I scream to Aang, loudly so he can hear past the rushing wind. “You still are a kid!” he shouts back. He’s right, I’m only 14, why did I ever stop having fun like this? We zoom into an ice tunnel, and it’s beautiful! The color of the ice is magnificent, and the way our laughter echoes is just incredible! Eventually we exit the tunnel and slow down onto a plain of ice. Once we stop, we release the penguins and wave to the as they waddle away. In the middle of the ice field, there’s a ship sticking up out of it. Aang approaches the abandoned vessel, giving a low ‘whoa’ at it. “What is that?” he asks. “A Fire Navy ship, and a very bad memory for my people.” Aang begins walking closer to it, so I shout out “Aang, stop. We’re not allowed to go near it. The ship could be booby-trapped.” He turns to me, completely covered in the light shadow the ship casts in the afternoon sun. “If you want to be a bender, you have to let go of fear.” At that, I think for a moment. I really want to be a bender, but I don’t want to get in trouble, or worse, get us hurt. Looking back at Aang, I realize he’s going in it whether I follow or not, and decide that it’ll be safer if we both go together. I step into the shadow, ready to face fear, and hopefully discover something about my people’s pass.<br/>
_____________________________________________________________________________________</p>
<p>A flare makes itself known to the west of my ship, its red shine telling me it belongs to the Fire Nation. It must be one of the traps set off by some abandoned vessel from the time of the first Southern Water Tribe Raids. I quickly look into my telescope, and catch two small figures gracefully leaping out of the ship. “The last Airbender. Quite agile for his old age.” I mumble to myself. Yes! He’s here! I knew it! I turn to my crew, pointing at them and shout “Wake my Uncle! Tell him I found the Avatar.” I continue to watch the two figures moving away from the ship. A young girl and the small old man. The girl is clearly Water Tribe from her clothing, hair, and skin. No, they aren’t moving away from the ship, they’re moving towards something else. I turn my telescope in the direction they are headed towards, and lo and behold I find a village. The Southern Water Tribe village. “As well as his hiding place.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2: The Avatar Is Found</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I totally forgot today was Friday, ohAgniimsosorry</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The sound of the ice breaking under way is tense, and exciting to my ears. I feel the hum of the ship as we make our way towards my prize. The setting sun shines like a glorious flare, a testament to what I’m owed, what I’ve </span>
  <em>
    <span>missed. </span>
  </em>
  <span>I turn to the helmsman, “Can’t you make this thing go any faster!?” He looks at me with disdain, and ignores my demands. I huff, and return to the helm of the ship, the sun hours away from setting, and my goal seeming farther away than ever before. I feel a presence behind me, but when I turn expecting Uncle, there is no one there. A silent whisper passes by my ears, grazing my lips, and is gone with the rushing air; it makes me shiver, a sort of dread filling my stomach and forcing me to stand taller. I can feel a name at the tip of my tongue, and before I can figure out what it is, my mouth is already uttering the word “Avatar…” I face away from the sun, towards where I am headed, towards the fading of the light, alone at the helm of my ship.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As we walk back to Katara’s village, I can see everyone gathered at the front, waiting for us with Appa. Oh no, I think we’re in trouble… As we get closer, the younger kids cry out cheers, and rush to meet us. The kids might be happy, but the adults sure don’t seem to be, uh oh again. Sokka steps forward, shoves his finger towards me, and shouts out “I knew it! You signaled the Fire Navy with that flare! You’re leading them straight to us, aren’t you?!” Before I can answer, Katara steps towards him and says “Aang didn’t do anything! It was an accident.” I step up next to her, and do my best to speak calmly, “Yeah, we were on the ship and there was this booby trap and, well, we- we boobied right into it.” I rub the back of my head sheepishly, and hope that that clears things up for Katara at least, I’d hate myself if she got in trouble because of me.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gran Gran begins to step forward, and I’m more scared than before when it was just Sokka. “Katara,” Oh NO! “ you shouldn’t have gone on that ship.” OH NO OH NO OH NO OH NO! “Now we could all be in danger.” Kill me now! Take me now, Avatar Yangchen, I’m ready to return to the Spirit World. “Now we could all be in danger.” I swallow the lump in my throat and raise my hands in a non-threatening gesture. “Don’t blame Katara. I brought her there. It’s my fault.” I bow my head in apology, hoping to get Katara out of trouble. “A-ha! The traitor confesses! Warriors, away from the enemy! The foreigner is banished from our village.” Sokka commands the children to his side, some giving last glances towards me before scurrying away. Katara scoffs, and turns towards him, balling her hands into fists. “Sokka, you’re making a mistake.” “No, I’m keeping my promise to Dad. I’m protecting you from threats, like him.” Sokka points at me again, he sure points a lot. “Aang is not our enemy! Don’t you see? Aang’s brought us something we haven’t had in a long time- fun.” Katara, that’s really sweet, not that I’d say that out loud, not right now at least. “Fun!? We can’t fight Firebenders with fun!” I talk before I think, and my dumb mouth decides to say “You should try it sometime.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Get out of our village, now!” Katara turns to Gran Gran, “Grandmother, please, don’t let Sokka do this.” I’m so so sorry to make you do this Katara, I don’t deserve it after lying to you, to any of you. I just wish I could say it, I wish I could tell you all the truth! About what I am, and who I am, but I can’t. Gran Gran steps forward finally, and with a grave tone speaks. “Katara, you knew going on that ship was forbidden. Sokka is right. I think it best if the Airbender leaves.” I’m not shocked she agreed, I kinda do too. Still, it kinda hurts, but I deserve it, I left my home so it’s only fair I’m kicked out of theirs. I don’t belong here, or anywhere really. Katara’s energy is on fire now, she stomps her foot and shouts “Fine, then I’m banished, too! Come on, Aang, let’s go!” She grabs me by the shoulder, turns me around, and starts to drag me towards Appa. I look back at her village, and wonder what in the world she’s thinking! She can’t go with me! She can’t leave because of me! I never should have mentioned the Northern Water Tribe, I never should have told her I’d take her, what have I done?!? Sokka yells after her, “Where do you think you’re going?” She doesn’t turn when she responds, “To find a Waterbender. Aang is taking me to the North Pole.” I look at her now, shocked. She really is leaving because of that! I’m so dead, this is so bad, what do I do?!? “I am? Great!” I say out of fear, complete and total fear. Oh what have I done? “Katara! Would you really choose him over your tribe, your own family?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Katara stops, and it’s quiet, very quiet. I’m only just realizing how quiet it is here in the arctic. It shouldn’t be taking her this long to decide, we’re her family! I’m her brother! And Gran Gran too! She should at least turn around and!- Aang walks up to her, and says something quietly. I can’t quite make it out from so far away. Well, whatever that little spy says, I won’t let Katara go anyways! Dad made it my job to protect her, and to protect this family. He walks to the giant buffalo or whatever and Katara doesn’t make any move that suggests her getting on. She speaks to him again, but I can’t hear! Aang does one of his airbending things and spirals up to sit on the creatures head. Katara isn’t getting on. Did he decide not to take her? Good, she belongs here, with her people anyways.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It was nice meeting everyone.” Aang says, now sitting at Appa’s reigns. I can’t believe this is it, the Airbender boy is really leaving. He was only here for a day! And, not to mention, he clearly doesn’t realize how dangerous the world is right now. It must be especially dangerous for him, what with their being no sign of Airbenders in almost a hundred years! Someone might mistake him for the Avatar, like I did. “Let’s see your bison fly now, Airboy.” Sokka taunts. Aang just smiles back kindly, and turns his head away. “Come on, Appa, you can do it. Yip Yip!” Appa slowly gets to his feet, still a lumbering ball of fur, and grunts in response to Aang’s encouragement. “Yeah, I thought so!” Sokka calls again. A little girl, Mimi I think, cries and runs towards Appa and Aang. She looks up at Aang, and gentle mumbles “Aang, don’t go. I’ll miss you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll miss you, too.” With that, Aang looks at me, and with sad eyes finally turns away, for the last time. “Come on, boy.” Appa starts to slowly trudge away, and Aang doesn’t look back. We all watch him go, waiting, wondering if something would happen. I was waiting to see if he’d come back. Mimi walks back to her mother, as Grandmother comes to stand by me. “Katara, you’ll feel better after you-” I cut her off, screaming “You happy now? There goes my one chance of becoming a Waterbender!” I stomp away through the snow, and back towards the village. I’m too angry to apologize, I don’t want to! I could have gone with him, if only they’d let me, if only they’d trusted me! I’m not a helpless little girl! … It’s really starting to get cold.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
  <span></span>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>I just remember, the sun almost never sets here in the South Pole, it’s always lurking. Waiting, for winter to come, and cast shadows over the ice, unbearably dark. The sun has stayed the same length away from the horizon, simply shifting along its edge stubbornly, as if not wanting to submerge into the icy waters. I can only imagine how cold it is, how deep, and who knows what dangers wait beneath its surface? It’s been hours of slowly slushing through the water, making steady progress towards the little tribe village, but we are certainly closer than before. Off to the east, there is a light fog rolling in over the tundra, making it difficult to see what mounds of snow and ice structures that may appear there. By now, the villagers will have noticed the flare, and understood its significance, no doubt trying to hide the Avatar from us. Well, hide all he might, he has nowhere left to run!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>If they somehow managed to not notice the flare, the smoke from the ship’s chimney will certainly notify them of our presence, and I do certainly hope they are prepared to meet us. Anyone found helping or concealing the Avatar are considered traitors to the Fire Nation, and are immediately convicted of treason, regardless of where they come from. By taking him off of their hands, I’m doing them a favor. They’d be dead in a second if it wasn’t me coming to retrieve the old monk. “Men! Ready you battle stations! We ram into them head on, I want everyone in that village gathered and all of the old men and women brought to me!” I hear a muddled but collective ‘Yes Prince Zuko’ from those above deck, and head off to my room. I too must prepare for battle, if I am to defeat the man that threatens my Father’s honor most. I can feel the ship gain in speed as my servants help me place my armor and uniform. My hair is tightened, and a helmet placed on my head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I enter the loading dock, and prepare for impact, as the captain maneuvers us not around, but through the thick ice. The ship jerks and rumbles with the force, but continues on strongly, barely bothered by the landscape's desperate resistance. By now, the ship will have breached the outer wall; I re-evaluate my armor and secure my weapons one last time, and wait for the distinctive buzz to sound for when the ship’s hatch prepares to open. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There is a loud thud, and I see light creasing the hatch. Striding forward, my men are already moving to gather the village inhabitants. I’d gone over these plans with them so many times, executed them on a number of occasions, but this time it feels truly triumphant! The cold air stings, but it buzzes with the Avatar’s essence; he has definitely been here! He’s close, I feel it! As I approach the ground, a teen holding a club stands, and rushes at me. He’s scared and clearly unskilled, probably has never trained in proper combat once, and screams like a child as he runs. I kick him, quickly disarming him, and kick him again, tossing him over the edge of the platform into the pile of snow that used to be a wall. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The villagers look frightened, as they should be, and back away. Besides the kid from before, no one makes a move to fight, and I take that as permission to step forward myself. I examine each of them, looking for anyone amiss, looking for a 100 and something man, clearly not Water Tribe, but no one sparks a reaction. I’ve been searching for so long, you’d think I’d be able to recognize him the second my eyes landed on him! “Where are you hiding him?” The villagers are perplexed by my question, so either they’re all idiots, or they are very good actors. As a fan of theatre, I can tell which of the two is the correct answer. I grab an elderly-looking woman to use as an example, “He’d be about this age, master of </span>
  <em>
    <span>all</span>
  </em>
  <span> elements?” These people are truly </span>
  <b>idiots</b>
  <span>! What, do I need to spell it out for them!?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I toss the old woman back, and throw a wave of fire at them, displaying my power. They back away instinctively, but they wouldn’t have gotten burned even if they stood their ground. My aim isn’t hurting these people, it’s finding my target. “I </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> you’re hiding him!” I hear a shout from behind, presumably the same ‘warrior’ teen from before, and turn to face him. He’s swinging that club, and I immediately duck to dodge and toss him over my shoulder. He’s light, and barely has any muscle, probably no older than 15. He lands in a failed crouch, and I fire a warning shot which he dodges quite well. I suppose even if he’s a terrible fighter, he has good basic instincts for it. It’s lucky that the Fire Nation took down the Southern Water Tribe swiftly, else this boy may have become a rather frightening opponent even without bending. My thoughts distract me, he rolls into an upright position and throws something at me. The object nearly hits me, and I scold myself for underestimating my opponent. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sure, he hasn’t received training, but he’s the only warrior in his village, and will do everything to protect his home. A younger boy shouts to the warrior “Show no fear!” and tosses him a spear. The warrior catches it with a familiar grip, and rushes me once more, calmer and in more control now. The real fight begins, and I know not to overlook him again. I widen my stance, and prepare to counter. The spear breaks easily from my forearm motions, and I grab the remains of the weapon from his hands, striking him thrice in his head. He downs easily, and I snap the staff in half and toss them to the side. I look down at him, and ponder how he might become better.  It’s a shame, his actions are that of an idiot, but his eyes gleam with an intelligence that differs from the rest of his vi- OW! I’m struck in the head from behind, and the wound might have been more painful if not for my helmet. I’ve always hated the thing, it’s design is not at all pleasing to the eyes, and it always makes my hair look like a wet mop. When it lands in the snow, I realize what it is he threw before: the boy had thrown a boomerang. My hands flare with anger, but I remind myself to control my emotions, and extinguish them. This turns out to be a mistake, however.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I love Penguin Seals, and I’m super grateful for Katara showing me that trick to make friends with them, especially now! I love Appa, but right now he’s too tired to fly, and on land he’s always been kinda slow, so I let him rest and used a penguin seal to get back to the village. As I entered, I saw what looked like Fire Nation soldiers menacingly standing by a cool looking ship, and one of them stalking towards Sokka. So, I did the only logical thing I could! Or rather, the more fun thing to do was ram the guy’s legs out from under him! He yelps, and his helmet goes flying off. Wow, he might have as much hair as Katara… stay focused Aang. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The little kiddies cheer, and the adults look either relieved or even more scared, maybe a mix of both? We slide to a stop, and he knocks me off and waddles away. I smile at him and wave goodbye, getting to my feet easily. “Hey, Katara. Hey, Sokka.” “... Hi, Aang. Thanks for coming.” I guess that means Sokka is happy to see me, I think. I turn back to the Fire Nation folk, and the guy I knocked down is getting up. He seems really upset, I feel kinda bad for knocking him down now. Actually, now that I’m seeing him without his helmet on, he looks kinda familiar… in a weird Deja Vu kinda way. He takes a deep breath and raises his arms, and the other soldiers start shifting. As he’s readying into a </span>
  <em>
    <span>very</span>
  </em>
  <span> familiar Fire Bending position, the other soldiers surround me. O</span>
  <em>
    <span>hhh</span>
  </em>
  <span>, I know what’s happening, haha, oops… I blow the loose snow around me in an attempt to push them back, letting them know that I’m a bender too, and that this fight won’t be that easy. But, I’m also a pacifist, so a fight isn’t exactly what I </span>
  <em>
    <span>want</span>
  </em>
  <span> to happen.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In the back of my mind, I hear a faint whisper, and I remember my duty; I must protect the Avatar. That must be why they’re here, they think I’m them. Perhaps, it’s better they do. If this is how the universe has decided to make me pay for my mistakes, and its way to force me to finally own up to my responsibilities, then so be it. I deserve this, whatever it is. “Looking for me?” I say, straightening my back and holding my staff by my side, trying to look as strong as I wish I felt. “You’re the Airbender? You’re the Avatar?” He’s steaming, and seems confused, I know I would be. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>To these people, the Avatar has been gone for over a hundred years, when in reality, I know that there has been at least three of them since the start of this mystery war. Three deaths, three Avatars dead, because of me, and what’s worse, no one will ever remember their names, their faces, their lives. Three Avatars lost, including </span>
  <em>
    <span>hers</span>
  </em>
  <span>… “Aang?” “No way…” Yup, everyone has been caught in my lie now, time to face the music.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I-I don’t get it. I DON’T GET IT? How is </span>
  <b>he</b>
  <span> the </span>
  <b>Avatar</b>
  <span>!? He’s-he’s just a kid! This isn’t fair! It doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t make… sense… “I’ve spent years preparing for this encounter, training, meditating.” I’m not sure when we started circling each other, but at this point I don’t care. “You’re just a child.” He’s just a child, how can he be the Avatar? It’s impossible! The Air Nomad boy straightens for a moment, and shifts his head, “Well, you’re just a teenager.” Taunting, is he? I will show him, I’ll show him how our skills are separated in leaps and bounds! With one fluid motion of my arm, I send a circling wave of fire towards him. It pulls itself into a heavy jet, and the boy cries out as he uses his staff to blow it back. I continue bending, disregarding anything and everything at this point. The only thing that matters is me catching this utter disappointment! The boy is unsteady on his feet, clearly he isn’t a fighter, even less than the other Water Tribe kid. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As I send another fiery ball at him, I realize finally the direction my attacks are headed. He tries desperately to shield the villagers from my onslaught, and they cower back into his defense. I pause, ready to shift the fight away, both for their safety and so that I have a fair fight with this “master of the four elements”. Before I can, though, the child speaks out, “If I go with you, will you promise to leave everyone alone?” He thinks I wouldn’t care if they were injured, admittedly I’d like to stray away from using such tactics myself, but willingly? Would he really? Or is this some kind of trick? Either way, a </span>
  <em>
    <span>boy</span>
  </em>
  <span> couldn’t possibly escape my ship’s defenses, even if that boy is the Avatar. That is, if the child isn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>lying</span>
  </em>
  <span> about that part.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I lower my guard, and my soldiers follow suit with my movements. This is the most peaceful option, both him and I understand this. And so, I nod in acknowledgement of our agreement. The silence of the icy tundra smoothes out as the wind dies with his bending. Two of my guards move to his sides and secure him. I turn ready to reboard my ship, and see a Water Tribe girl step forward, reaching towards him. “No, Aang, don’t do this.” I turn completely and start up the ramp; so his name is Aang, then. It’s oddly familiar, I hope to have a long chat with Aang, acquaint myself with the bountiful time to get back home. “Don’t worry, Katara. It’ll be ok.” He sounds sure, or rather hopeful of that. For a final time, Aang calls out “Take care of Appa for me until I get back.” So, he does plan on returning, too bad. “Head a course for the Fire Nation. I’m going home.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The platform hisses as the gears are heated, and it rises to shut, the world darkens with it, until my eyes adjust to the red loading dock lights within. A final look at the village reveals worrying glances, and two pairs of desperate eyes, searching for their friend. One turns and meets mine.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s devastating, the hole that's ripped between the ice, between our village, between us. Some of the tents burned up in flames, others collapsed under the pressure of mounds of snow, the worst ones sunken into split ice. Mothers hold their own children and any others near to them closely, anyone else stands or wanders around in shock. The few who are just conscious enough to think somewhat hazily, move to throw out fires or check under the ice for anyone unlucky enough to get buried. The children help to right tents that have collapsed, the elderly care for those too young to help, and I stand watching. Watching what I could have stopped, what I was meant to protect, broken.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Katara watches the sun, the direction they left, and I begin pacing behind her, finally thinking of what can be fixed, of what to do now, what to do next. “We have to go after that ship, Sokka. Aang saved our tribe. Now we have to save him.” Of course, that’s exactly what I thought she’d say. When our people are in danger, in need, she’s the same old Katara, </span>
  <em>
    <span>chasing</span>
  </em>
  <span> after what only </span>
  <em>
    <span>she</span>
  </em>
  <span> wants. That is exactly what she’d say, huh? “Katara, I--” “Why can’t you realize that he’s on our side?!” Oh great, she’s gonna ran- “If we don’t help him, no one will. I know you don’t like Aang, but we owe him and--” “Katara! Are you going to talk all day, or are ya comin with me?” I gesture to the already packed canoe, and look at her expectantly. I mean, she’s my sister, </span>
  <em>
    <span>my</span>
  </em>
  <span> sister, she’ll go whether I’m with her or not. I’ve gotta protect her, I made a promise to dad, and mom, and besides, she’d be lost without me!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Katara runs up and jumps me with a hug, shouting my name with glee. Guess she wasn’t expecting me to agree with her, am I really that disagreeable? “Get in. We’re going to save your boyfriend.” That’s right, she’s my sister, and I’m her brother, number 1, king of annoying Katara. “He’s not my--” “Whatever.” And then comes the witch, all-knowing and all-seeing. Gran Gran always seems to know what we’re up to, and this time isn’t any different. “What do you two think you’re doing?” We turn and smile as innocently as possible. It doesn’t work, of course, but it’s sort of a trouble-making siblings tradition. “You’ll need these. You have a long journey ahead of you.” She hands out sleeping bags, with a mischievous but kind smile on her face, one I only remember seeing back when mom and dad were around to scold us instead of her. “It’s been so long since I’ve had hope, but you brought it back to life, my little Waterbender.” Oh, so she’s talking to Katara, guess it’s a witches-only event. “And you,” Nevermind- “my brave warrior,” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Nevermind- </span>
  </em>
  <span>“be nice to your sister.” “Yeah, ok, Gran.” We hug politely, I don’t need encouragement to know what she’s really saying. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aang is the Avatar. He’s the world’s only chance. You both found him for a reason. Now your destinies are intertwined with his.” Katara and I share a glance, and she turns towards the canoe. “There’s no way we’re going to catch a warship with a canoe.” Just then, that familiar grumble of a snot monster echoes from over the nearest slope, and said snot monster appears. I admit, I kinda missed the not-able-to-fly fuzz ball. “Appa!” She runs over to it, and I look longingly at my canoe. “You just </span>
  <em>
    <span>love</span>
  </em>
  <span> taking me out of my comfort zone, don’t you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It is still </span>
  <em>
    <span>very</span>
  </em>
  <span> cold here, in the South Pole, but at least now we head a course back to the Fire Nation and warmer waters. Boiling waters and a nation full of dangers for my nephew. I sigh at the thought, realizing what must be done. This Airbender boy came out of nowhere, and now Zuko has decided he must be the Avatar,if only he knew the truth… But, I promised Ursa I would never say, even thinking it is too dangerous, especially around that younger brother of mine. I sometimes wondered what might have happened if I stayed at the wall, if I hadn’t left. Perhaps, I would have been in Ozai’s seat instead, and perhaps I may have ended this war sooner. The Avatar would have no danger to face then, he might have lived in peace.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I shake myself out of my head, after all, only a pitiful man wastes time thinking about what he can change! Now that this boy is in our hair, not to mention pretending to be the Avatar no less, I have to find a way to let him </span>
  <em>
    <span>happen</span>
  </em>
  <span> to escape! If we go back to the Fire Nation and my brother sees this boy, not only will the child be killed, but Zuko… I-I can’t let myself think of something happening, despite my strength I’m too old to worry this much. “This staff will make an excellent gift for my Father. I suppose you wouldn’t know of fathers, being raised by monks.” Oh, Zuko, how can you sound so pretentious? If you weren’t my nephew, I would have no idea that you were just trying to make small talk! “Take the Avatar to the prison hold and take this to my quarters.” He hands me the boy’s staff, and then marches off, leaving me to return inside. I hold the staff gently, I know how spiritual the Air Nomads were and wouldn’t want to upset the boy’s culture by damaging it. Even so, I need to talk to Zuko, “Hey, you mind taking this to his quarters for me?” The guard holds the staff and watches me follow Zuko in confusion, they aren’t used to my Uncle Form. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I catch up to Zuko and walk a few steps behind him, making my presence known. “... What is it, Uncle? If you have something to say, then just say it.” I hum in response, “I’m not sure, Zuko, I haven’t had lunch yet! Bahahaha!” He stops walking, and I stop by his side, not turning to face him. My nephew is more fragile than he likes to admit, and would most likely be upset with me if I turned to him now. “... I know you, you always have something to say. At first, you just pretended like this was a vacation, told me not to worry about finding him, to just enjoy traveling like my life wasn’t dependent on it. And now, when I’ve actually found him, do you really believe I wouldn’t think you’d have something to say? Now, of all times, you think I’d think you’d be quiet? You abandoned our war after my cousin was killed in battle, and I know that that isn’t something to be ashamed of, but I also know that you haven’t been the same since!” This time, I turn to look at him, at my nephew, whose breathing is heavy, whose hands are now fists, who looks at me in desperation. Anyone would see an angry Firebender, a tantrum-throwing prince, but all I see is my worried and frightened nephew, my best-friend’s son. The only family I have left.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This isn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>our</span>
  </em>
  <span> war, Zuko.” “No, it is! I may never have seen a war, I may never have seen a real battlefield, but this </span>
  <b>is</b>
  <span> my war! I’m a part of it too! I’m a soldier just like you were! And I have </span>
  <b>no idea</b>
  <span> what you have seen! Even so, I have fought for my life every single day since we left home. That isn’t something you could understand! You can go back, but I can’t!” He’s steaming, his hair has come loose and one of his hands knots itself in the nest of it. Zuko turns away, and walks into his chambers, leaving the door open, leaving me for the first time, unsure if I should enter. If only Ursa were here, she was always better at this, even with Lu Ten. I miss them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The water buffalo has been swimming us for hours, still no flying! This fluff ball is useless, but at least it can swim and is warm, not to mention packed with snacks! Appa moans, again, and I continue our make-believe, entirely one-sided conversation. “Go. Fly. Soar.” At his reigns, Katara tries coaxing him with her witchy water animal powers, “Please, Appa, we need your help. Aang needs your help.” It doesn’t work, so I continue our conversation, “Up. Ascend. Elevate.” Katara looks annoyed! Good. Cuz I am too. “Sokka doesn’t believe you can fly, but I do, Appa. Come on, don’t you want to save Aang?” She’s resorted to petting and the use of rhetorical questions! That means she’s desperate.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I remember a thought, Aang had said the same weird thing over and over again to try and get this thing up in the air. “What was it that kid said? Yee-ha? Hup-hup? Wa-hoo? Uh, Yip-Yip?” Oh Tui and La, why is it shaking? What is that noise?? I turn back and watch as Appa’s massive tail rises up to meet the water again as it readies to slam back down. Ah, that’s what that is. He kicks up all six legs and begins rising into the air! AAAAH! IT CAN ACTUALLY FLY? “You did it, Sokka!” Katara yells back, delight written all over her face. “He’s flying! He’s flying!! Katara, he’s--!” When I turn back to her, she has a smug look on her face. I hate it. Crossing my arms and clearing my expression, I refuse her look “I mean, big deal. He’s flying.” We rise higher in the sky, and Appa gives another, this time triumphant, gruff roar. This, this is riding in style.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He walks in, just as I thought he would. Those useless guards couldn’t even handle keeping a 12 year old boy locked up. I suppose this means he really is the Avatar, doesn’t it? As soon as he has his back completely turned, focused on his precious belonging, I shut it behind us. The door to my chamber is the only entrance and exit, a lethal weapon in the right hands. “Looks like I underestimated you.” He turns and faces me, his eyes widen when he realizes he’s clearly not alone, and that he’s trapped. I ready my stance, this time for full offense. I can’t risk losing him, not now that I’m this close! Flames burst from my left hand, angry and pouncing. He yelps and dodges right. It’s game on.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I have him backed into a corner, now he truly understands that I won’t hold back, even if it means he gets burned! HE KEEPS DODGING! Rolling between my wide stance, I quickly turn to meet him face-to-face, only he keeps dancing around behind my back! What a frustrating way to fight, he’s small and nimble, the most kind of fighter to deal with in closed spaces. I try to hit him, flames burning bright and effortlessly, but without control. Turning towards me finally, he catches my burning fist in a cyclone of air, and uses my body as a platform to jump off of. Curling a ball of pure wind, he sits on it with a pointed toe and faces off on it, barely missing my fire-fueled kick to his chest. He’s spinning circles around me, up the walls, everywhere! And my flames chase at the wind’s heels, nipping its tail but not quite </span>
  <b>reaching</b>
  <span>! I manage to knock him off of his bending mobility, only for him to leap behind one of the wall scrolls and use it to tie me up and blind me. Clever, but not clever enough. He has his staff in hand, and it takes only a moment for me to burn the scroll to ashes and set myself free. I’m ready, </span>
  <b>I’m ready</b>
  <span>! My mattress slams into me and pounds me against the opposite wall. When we both fall, I’m again slammed into the ceiling with it, and dropped again. It hurts, and there will definitely be bruises later, but my anger is too great for me to notice it. By then, ‘Aang’ is already gone.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>But I won’t give up!</b>
  <span> I race after him, see him run off the balcony, and I jump off after him, </span>
  <b>consequences be damned!</b>
  <span> I latch tightly onto his ankle as he menuevers his staff-now-turned flying contraption, and the weight and unbalance is too much for the paper wings. We make a swift descent, and we crash into the deck. We both stumble in getting up, and face each other again. I won’t let him escape, I can’t! Suddenly in the distance, a strange flying creature appears. “What </span>
  <em>
    <span>is </span>
  </em>
  <span>that?” I say aloud, the creature approaches swiftly. It’s… strangely fluffy… “Appa!” Wait, this kid </span>
  <em>
    <span>knows</span>
  </em>
  <span> that thing? Doesn’t matter, I can’t let him escape onto that thing! I thrust as much fire as I can at him, but with his staff his bending is more powerful. He spins it quickly and easily diflects the onslaught. That being said, the movement nearly forces him over the edge of the boat, and into the icy waters below. I wonder how good his Waterbending is? He rights himself, only to be met with more of my own bending, one shot causes his staff to go flying away from him. His agility kicks in and he’s back to dodging and chasing after his weapon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aang is up on the edge of the boat, and it takes all of my will power not to close my eyes and turn away from the thought of him falling. I watch as the Fire Nation boy creates a wave of flames that engulfs Aang. When it clears, Aang is gone, and there is a splash in the water below. “Aang, no!” I can’t see him! He’s sinking! “Aang! Aang! </span>
  <b>Aang!!!!</b>
  <span>” With that desperate cry, I sense the water moving before it even happens. And it isn’t me. It’s something far more powerful, something far more ancient, something far more dangerous. And it’s coming this way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>I can’t describe the pain I feel in my chest, it’s like a pulling sensation, like it hurts yet calms. It feels like ice, it feels like burning, it feels like being pulled away from something, it feels like being pulled towards something else, it feels exhilarating, it feels terrifying. What is this? What is this white, what is this light, what’s happening? My heart races, my head is swimming, I can’t see yet everything seems so clear. What’s happening? What’s happening to me? Us?</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Water rises in front of the ship, Aang at its center, a vortex of maximum speeds. I couldn’t dream of bending like that right now, I don’t think I’d be able to do it in </span>
  <em>
    <span>years</span>
  </em>
  <span>, yet the Airbender boy, no, the Avatar does it seamlessly. He dives onto the deck and funnels the water into his hands, a continuous stream of raw </span>
  <em>
    <span>power</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He knocks off nearly all of the soldiers, including the boy-leader that fought Sokka, and then stands in victory. “Did you see what he just did?!” I don’t look at my brother, my eyes are glued to the scene, to the glowing boy on the ship surrounded by fallen men and a ring of water. “Now </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> was some Waterbending.” Aang begins to wobble on his feet, and then crashes into a pile on the ground. We go in for a landing, quickly, and I call out to him. “Aang! Are you ok?” We run to his side, and I hold up his arms trying to get him on his feet. “Hey, Katara. Hey, Sokka. Thanks for coming.” He sounds exhausted, and he’s so cold and pale. “Well, I couldn’t let you have all the glory.” Sokka, for once I’m kinda glad for your sarcasm, it seems to cheer Aang up. “I dropped my staff.” “Got it!” Sokka runs over to get it, which is oddly sweet of him. Sokka grabs it quickly, but the leftover soldiers get up and try to stop us. With Aang weak, we deal with them as soon as possible while he climbs up Appa’s back. Even Appa lands an assist, and we fly off as quickly as possible. “Shoot them down!” Aang gets up, having recovered a bit of strength, and uses it to bat a fireball hurtling towards us into the iceberg next to the ship. The ice cracks, and we laugh as we escape.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good news for the Fire Lord. The Fire Nation’s greatest threat is just a little kid.” “That kid, Uncle, just did this. I won’t underestimate him again. Dig this ship out and follow them! As soon as you’re done with that.” I won’t lose you, Avatar, not now that our chase has just begun.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'm so sorry I'm late, I have no sense of time, my head is empty 99% of the day lol. Anyways, I hope you continue to follow this story! Once again I post every/every other Friday!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3: The Agni Kai</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hiya! I'm back! This next chapter is gonna be the longest one so far, I hope you all enjoy!<br/>Gonna just put it out there, there will be some significant cursing on Zuko and Sokka's parts lol, the boys are strrrrressed.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The sun begins to rise in the west, making way for a new day. We flew overnight a few days, but finally landed to rest once we were a day's flight from home. Appa really powered through, more than I thought he would with how snuggly he is, so he must really have missed home too. This also means I get to go home after 100 years… I wonder if anyone I knew is still there. “Wait till you see it, Katara. The Air Temple is one of the most beautiful places in the world.” The mosaics and sand portraits are still sharp in my mind, the smell of the breeze and the frosty chill of the winds on my head. “Aang, I know you’re excited, but it’s been a hundred years since you’ve been home.” Katara is sweet, but she really only sees me as a kid, I wonder who’s fault is that. As I secure Appa’s reins, I try to mask my worry for excitement, I don’t want her to realize just how much I understand my situation. I know that most likely all of my friends, my family are gone, and it’s my fault because I ran away. I smile as brightly as I can when I turn to her, “That’s why I’m so excited!” She looks over at me from the saddle, “It’s just that a lot can change in all that time.” I can hear the silent ‘I don’t want you to get hurt’ in her eyes, I know I’ll get hurt, but it’s better to pretend I don’t. “I know, but I need to see it for myself.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I hop off of Appa’s head, gently floating down to the ground, and go to wake up Sokka who’s still in his sleeping bag. He snores pretty loudly, huh! “Wake up, Sokka. Air Temple, here we come!” His face scrunches up in a groan and he turns over, “Sleep now, temple later.” and he goes back to snoring. Well, what better way for me to fix up my nerves and wake Sokka up than have a little fun, right? The monks always said to laugh in the face of fear, not out of pride but to despite fear itself! Grabbing a random branchy stick from the ground, I quietly sneak over to his sleeping bag. I can hear Katara’s shifting form as she realizes what I’m planning. “Sokka, wake up! There’s a Prickle Snake in your sleeping bag!” I shout as I drag the stick across his body. He jolts awake, standing up and hopping around frantically still inside, screaming “Get it off! Get it off!” at the top of his lungs. That is, until he trips! Katara and I are giggling while he huffs out in frustration. “Great. You’re awake! Let’s go.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It had been nearly a week since I lost the Avatar, but I haven’t let this stop me from continuing my search. If I had managed to find him after 100 years of his absence, then I could surely find him again. We had just pulled into port for ship repairs, and the wind was as harsh as ever in the icy tundra. “Uncle, I want the repairs made as quickly as possible. I don’t want to stay too long and risk losing his trail.” As always, Uncle stays by my side just a step behind, but there’s a pregnable tension there now after our last discussion. “You mean the Avatar?” I whip around quickly and shove my face to his ear, “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Don’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> mention his name on these docks. Once word gets out that he’s alive, every Firebender will be out looking for him, and I don’t want </span>
  <em>
    <span>anyone</span>
  </em>
  <span> getting in the way.” As if I’d spoken forbidden words, a demon sets its sights on me and pounces.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Getting in the way of what? Prince Zuko.” I cross my arms and face him, steeling myself in preparation of the mind games he’ll no doubtedly try to play. “General Zhao.” “It’s ‘Commander’ now. And General Iroh, great hero of our nation.” His face is so condescending, how can a person’s face look condescending in its natural state like that? Uncle is truly a kind and virtuous man, he simply bows in greeting and replies “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Retired</span>
  </em>
  <span> general.” “The Fire Lord’s brother and son are welcome guests anytime. What brings you to my harbor?” Uncle speaks before I can, telling Zhao “Our ship is being repaired.” and gesturing to the damage. “That’s quite a bit of damage.” No shit, Zhao. “Yes, you wouldn’t believe what happened. Uncle, tell Commander Zhao what happened.” Thankfully I can shove this problem onto him, he owes me after all. “Yes, I will do that. It was incredible. What, did we crash or something?” Damnit Uncle, this was your turn! “Yes! Right into an Earth Kingdom ship.” I avoid his eyes, it’s an obvious lie, I’m a terrible liar. “Really?” Zhao is clearly unimpressed, I dislike him. “You must regale me with all the thrilling details. Join me for a drink?” Regale? </span>
  <em>
    <span>Regale?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Even I’m not that pompous. He leans in suspiciously at that last question, and I know that I won’t be able to take this much longer.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, but we have to go.” I step around him, ready to walk the harbor and hopefully get away from Zhao, only for Uncle to stop me with a hand on my shoulder. “Prince Zuko, show Commander Zhao your respect. We would be honored to join you. Do you have any ginseng tea? It’s my favorite.” Respect? Him? UGH! Sometimes I can’t help but wish Uncle was more dragon-like in personality like his title suggests. Either way, with both of them walking back to Zhao’s office, I have no choice but to follow. This is going to be unpleasant, I can sense it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The view from Appa’s back is relaxing and serene, the cool wind washing over me gently. But, this epic state does nothing to stop the hunger in  my stomach. It rumbles loudly, reminding me of my lack of sustenance, “Hey, stomach, be quiet, all right? I’m trying to find us some food.” I rummage around the saddle, looking through all of the bags for something to eat, only to find my stash of jerky completely gone. “Hey! Who ate all my blubbered seal jerky?” Aang pipes up, slightly apologetic, “Oh. That was food? I used it to start the campfire last night. Sorry.” His sheepish grin and vegetarian self seriously don’t help my hunger, darn it. “You </span>
  <em>
    <span>what</span>
  </em>
  <span>? Aww. No wonder the flames smelled so good.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Appa kicks it up a notch and soon the once distant mountain spires are just an arm’s length distance. “The Patola Mountain Range! We’re almost there!” Finally, hopefully we’ll find food there- “Aang, before we get to the temple, I want to talk to you about the Airbenders.” Ohhh no, Katara is doing the thing again, the ‘I’m about to give you bad news but please don’t be upset’ thing. This could turn ugly, especially for Aang. I hope he’ll be ok, or at least hope beyond hope that maybe there are still some of his people left alive, or hope beyond even that that there aren’t any bones… “What about them?” Aang replies, naively I might add, this is probably gonna be real hard on him, he’s still just a kid after all. “Well… I just want you to be prepared for what you might see. The Fire Nation is ruthless. They killed my mother, and they could have done the same to your people.” Ahh, this is getting really dark, her bringing up mom and all. “Just because no one has seen an Airbender doesn’t mean the Fire Nation killed them all. They probably escaped.” Oh, Katara, please just leave it, please. “I know it’s hard to accept.” She put her hand on his shoulder, Katara please I’m telepathic sibling begging you. “You don’t understand, Katara. The only way to get to an Airbender Temple is on a Flying Bison, and I doubt the Fire Nation has any Flying Bison. Right, Appa?” Appa groans in response to him, confirming his question. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>We continue flying, picking up speed as we round cliff edges and rocky spikes, going up and up until we reach over a mountain top. “There it is, the Southern Air Temple.” Aang mimics my thoughts, it’s not only huge but beautiful and intricately designed. The architecture is stunning, and now I understand why the world felt such a great loss at losing the Air Nomadic people. Only people that are beautiful inside themselves could create something like this, I don’t see how the Fire Nation could ever see such beauty as a threat. “Aang, it’s amazing!” Katara shouts, gazing out at it as we approach. “We’re home, buddy. We’re home.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And by year’s end, the Earth Kingdom Capital will be under our rule. The Fire Lord will finally claim victory in this war.” Finally, he’s stopped talking. I can’t believe I listened to over an hour of this fools overzealous plan to win glory for himself. “If my father thinks the rest of the world will follow him willingly, then he is a fool.” After all I have seen due to his war and borderline anarchy, the rest of the world would either be cowards or fools for following him. I can admit freely in my head that he is a madman, just like this idiot Zhao. “Two years at sea have done little to temper your tongue.” Would you rather my temper have gone to my fists like a certain someone I know? “So, how’s your search for the Avatar going?” As he says this we hear a crash and look over to see Uncle standing next to a pile of fallen staffs. “Uh, my fault entirely.” he says while backing away from his mess. “We haven’t found him yet.” I state simply, and since it technically isn’t a lie, it passes as the truth. “Did you really expect to? The Avatar died a hundred years ago along with the rest of the Airbenders.” I look away, unsure why the sound of that word coming from his mouth brings me such anger. The Airbenders were a peaceful people, it was my great great grandfather’s raging paranoia that caused the world to lose such a great and kind nation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Unless you found some evidence that the Avatar is alive.” Zhao smiles eerily, but what has he ever done that wasn’t suspicious? “No. Nothing. Only groundless rumors of him returning like a messiah, but they lead to nowhere.” Hopefully this will get him to shut up about my failures. “Prince Zuko, the Avatar is the only one who can stop the Fire Nation from winning this war. If you have an ounce of loyalty left, you’ll tell me what you found.” What in the world is his problem? Does he really enjoy messing with me or is he as crazy about the Avatar as I am? “I haven’t found anything. It’s like you said-- The Avatar probably died a long time ago. Come on, Uncle. We’re going.” As I get up to leave and approach the tent threshold, the guards stationed there prohibit me from passing. Another of Zhao’s men enters and speaks. “Commander Zhao, we interrogated the crew as you instructed. They confirmed Prince Zuko had the Avatar in custody but let him escape.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Damn those fools!</b>
  <span> Do they have any idea what they’ve done? I should have known those loyal-less fiends would rat me out! I sigh, knowing what’s about to happen next, my worst fears coming to pass. “Now remind me, how exactly was your ship damaged?” Zhao rumbles in my ear, but I refuse to let this be my defeat. My honor and my prize are on the line, after all.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>While the temple is lifeless and offly quiet, the colors of the stucco walls and paths faded, and the energy generally faint and still, it’s still as beautiful as I remember it. I’m surprised by how little has changed, and I expected more damage either from age or… other things I’d rather not put a name to. As we walk up the mountain passes, Sokka calls out “So where do I get something to eat?” Katara, her voice echoing, replies “You’re lucky enough to be one of the first outsiders to ever visit an Airbender Temple, and all you can think about is food?” I’m honestly grateful and impressed by her knowledge of my people’s culture, and she’s not wrong about them being one of the few outsiders let in. Growing up I’d never seen any other benders in any of the temples, they were only permitted to meet outside the entrance ways or at the bottom of the mountains. “I’m just a simple guy with simple needs.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So that’s where my friends and I would play Airball, and over there is where the bison would sleep. And…” I sigh, remembering everyone that strangely isn’t here, playing and laughing like always. Airbenders were always sort of quiet in nature, but the silence has never been this thick before. “What’s wrong?” Katara asks behind me. “This place used to be full of monks and lemurs and bison. Now there’s just a bunch of weeds. I can’t believe how much things have changed.” Sokka walks over to me shyly, “So, uh, this Airball game-- how do you play?” It’s sweet that they’re trying to cheer me up, I don’t deserve them, but it would be nice to play again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... Katara, check this out.” Sokka had been playing Airball with Aang for a while now, and Aang won every time. He agreed to give Sokka a break, and when Sokka came to sit by me, that’s when he saw it. An old Fire Nation soldier’s helmet, cracked and dirty with age, lying in the snow like some ancient relic of the past. Technically it would be, but for Aang, it would only confirm what he fears most. “Fire Nation…” “We should tell him.” he replies. I turn and call Aang over, regret filling my chest, “Aang, there’s something you need to see.” He shouts a quick ‘ok’ as he tosses a ball over his head while running over to us. Right now he looks so happy, just like any other kid, he looks like what a </span>
  <em>
    <span>normal</span>
  </em>
  <span> kid should. And now we’re going to ruin that for him, cruelly force him to look into the charged eyes of his reality and accept the fate of his people… I can’t do it. Before he gets too close, I use my bending to yank down a pile of snow where Sokka is sitting, covering the helmet and receiving a surprised yelp from my brother. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What is it?” Aang asks, just moments after I’ve hidden away the evidence. “Uh… just a new water bending move I learned.” He peaks over at Sokka from behind my shoulder, smiling and says “Nice one. But enough practicing. We have a whole temple to see!” As he walks away, Sokka stands and brushes himself off. “You know, you can’t protect him forever.” And I do know, I know it all too well. I can’t protect him forever, he’s the Avatar, the last Airbender, but he’s also just a kid. I know he’ll find out eventually, but until he does, until he has to know, I want him to remember his people with happiness, hope. That’s all I ask, all I want right now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As Aang runs ahead, I turn to my sister and undoubtedly ask her to kill me by reminding her “Katara, Firebenders were here. You can’t pretend they weren’t.” As I’m talking, she does what she always does when I say something she doesn’t want to hear; she starts walking away. “I can for Aang’s sake. If he finds out that the Fire Nation invaded his home, he’ll be devastated.” I mean, she’s not wrong, but somehow this feels crueler than just telling him. It’s her problem to deal with, then, I’ve never been very good at comforting. “Hey, guys!” Aang shouts to us, standing in front of a statue of some monk. Gesturing to it, Aang tells us “I want you to meet somebody!” “Who’s that?” I ask, trying my best to be polite, I’m still really hungry and also I’m not super interested in old people. “Monk Gyatso, the greatest Airbender in the world. He taught me everything I know.” After explaining, Aang turns to the statue and bows out of deep respect, and I feel like a jerk by dismissing this guy. It’s obvious that Aang really cares about the monk, so that means I need to be really nice about all of this. Crap.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I bow to Monk Gyatso, and think back to a time before all of this, before I lost all of this because of my mistake, because of my selfishness. Gyatso and I are sitting upon one of the balconies in the eastern part of the temple, talking just as the sun begins to set into the middle of the sky. The orange glow of light makes his smile seem warmer than it is. In actuality, if you know him well, you can see the mischief hiding there in his brows. “... But the true secret is in the gooey center.” He’s talking about his cakes, but I’m not paying attention then like I normally would. I always used to hang onto his every word, but that day I was not in the greatest of moods… “My ancient cake making technique isn’t the only thing on your mind, is it, Aang?” I turn and look out over the rest of the temple, but it isn’t what I’m paying attention to. “This whole Avatar thing- maybe the monks made a mistake.” “The only mistake they made was telling you before you turned 14. But, we can’t concern ourselves with what was. We must act on what is.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gyatso gestures outwardly, and I finally look out over the temple, taking in its view. Flying Bison were plentiful back then, the gardens well kept and monks attending to their duties with smiles on their faces and laughter in their chests. “But, Gyatso, how do I know if I’m ready for this?” It seemed to be so overwhelming back then, learning of my duties to the Avatar and to maintaining the Avatar’s legacy. “Your questions will be answered when you’re old enough to enter the Air Temple Sanctuary. Inside, you will meet someone who will guide you on your journey, and who’s journey you will guide.” I turn to look at him directly, thousands of questions filling my mind. “Who is it?” He knows what I mean, what my real question is, but as cryptic as always Gyatso responds “When you are ready, they will reveal themself to you.” I groan and turn away, realizing none of my questions will be answered, </span>
  <em>
    <span>again.</span>
  </em>
  <span> “Now… are you going to help me with these cakes or not?” Well, this is at least one way to get rid of some frustration, those elders really should have waited to tell me. We stand and face the cakes, their delicious gooey centers and spongy softness about to be delivered 40 meters away. And on the heads of some meditating monks. “1… 2… 3!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You must miss him.” “Yeah.” “Where are you going?” I don’t turn back to answer, it’s time after all, for me to face them. For me to face </span>
  <b>her</b>
  <span>. “The Air Temple Sanctuary. There’s someone I’m ready to meet.” We walk the rest of the way in silence, only the sound of the wind through the tunnels and archways making any sound. The trees having been left alone so long are too brittle to even creak, I can hear their whispers of what once was as we pass each. When we finally come up to the doors, Katara speaks. “But, Aang, no one could have survived in there for a hundred years.” I know that Katara, she didn’t survive even one after I left. I don’t say this though, instead I plaster on a fake grin and reply “It’s not impossible. I survived in the iceberg for that long.” I’m wrong, I know I am, but they can’t know, I can never tell them what I’ve done. They have so little hope, I must make amends, I must pay. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good point.” “Katara, whoever’s in there might help me figure out this Avatar thing.” Figure it out, yeah, I have to figure this out, I need to find them, wherever they are, only they can fix this. They are the only one with the strength to do this, and I might find a clue to finding them here. Sokka pipes up after being quiet so long, “And whoever’s in there might have a medley of delicious cured meats!” Rubbing his hands together and drooling at the thought of food, Sokka attempts to open the sanctuary doors. And he fails of course because he’s not an Airbender. “I don’t suppose you have a key.” He says sheepishly on the floor. “The key, Sokka, is Airbending.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aang steps back, closes his eyes, and breathes deeply. I stay to the side in order to get a good view of his movements, intent on taking as many visual notes as I can from his bending. It isn’t everyday that I’ll get to study like this, or maybe it will be now that we’re travelling together. Even if I’m a Waterbender, I’m sure that I can gain some kind of knowledge from watching him Airbend. Aang squares his shoulders, his feet close together, and raises his arms straight out to his sides. In a fluid motion, he loosely cups his hands around his mouth and pushes them out in front of him while he stomps his foot forwards. Blasts of air come from his hands and I can almost see the air’s movement. It enters into the strange horn like openings on the tubes connected to the doors. The sound it produces is almost musical, and as the air travels through the spiraling wood, shells on the doors begin to rattle and flip. As each flips over, it creates a loud note and harmonizes with the others. Once all three have flipped, the doors begin to unlock and open into the dark cavern beyond. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The ugly bastard has me seated and paces around me after I was forced to explain what really happened to my ship. “So a 12-year-old boy bested you and your Firebenders. You’re more pathetic than I thought.” I hate Zhao so much. “ I underestimated him once, but it will not happen again.” Zhao turns away, and I can already tell what will happen. Ever since pulling into the port I had a bad feeling, a strange sense of regret that didn’t feel like completely my own. Now I’ve come to accept that feeling as an omen of what’s to come. “No, it will not, because you won’t have a second chance.” “Commander Zhao, I’ve been hunting the Avatar for two years, and I-” “</span>
  <b>And you failed! </b>
  <span>Capturing the Avatar is too important to leave in a teenager’s hands. He’s mine now.” Too important? </span>
  <b>Too important?!</b>
  <span> The Fire Lord, my Father himself, gave this mission to me! And to me alone! I managed to find him in two years when the rest of the world couldn’t in a hundred!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I charge at him furiously, but am held back by his guards who were stationed next to my chair. I won’t let anyone get to the Avatar before me, especially not this incompetent fool! “Keep them here.” Zhao orders as he leaves to exit the tent. I kick at the nearest thing in anger, a small table that flips and shatters with the force of my blow. Uncle continues to stay in his own seat, seemingly unbothered by these events. “More tea, please.” I can’t believe him, I know we fought and that I’ve been ignoring him, but this is much more important than that! This is my life’s mission- I feel a pain in my chest. Lucky for these guards, I take a seat to breathe and to calm my rapidly racing heart. I take this time to think and to rapidly repeat the mantra of ‘Firebenders do not lose control of their emotions’ in my head. I feel almost afraid, but I have no reason to be. What is happening to me lately, after meeting the boy Aang my emotions have become chaotic and out of control, almost as if they aren’t my own.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aang shouts into the tar void, “Hello? Anyone home?”, and begins to enter. Together my brother and I follow, our eyes slowly adjusting to the room around us. Aang called it a sanctuary, but the more I’m able to see the more I’m reminded of a museum from what my Gran Gran has told me they’re like. Aang stares blankly ahead, quiet and still. When we look, both Sokka and I become just as still at the eerie sight before us. There are hundreds, maybe even a thousand, stone statues standing before us and facing the entrance. The statues are formed in a spiral pattern, tall and looming as we walk towards them. Aang heads purposefully to the statues in the center of the room.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Statues? That’s it? Where’s the meat?” Sokka whined from a little ways across the room. I stand next to Aang and we look at one of the statues in front of us. “Who are all these people?” I ask. “I’m not sure. But it feels like I know them somehow. Look! That one’s an Airbender!” Aang points at a statue. I look over to the next statue and realize “And this one’s a Waterbender. They’re lined up in a pattern. Air, water, earth, and fire.” “That’s the Avatar cycle.” Aang tells me. That’s when I finally understood, “Of course. They’re Avatars. All these people are your past lives, Aang.” When I turn back to him, Aang isn’t looking at the statues anymore. It’s almost like he can’t look at them, and as he continues to walk to the center again, I hear him mumble “Wow, there’s so many.”</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <span>That’s worrying, really worrying. Why wouldn’t Aang want to be reminded of his past lives? Does he blame himself for missing the 100 years of war up until now? Oh no… a kid his age shouldn’t have to think about these things. Sokka comes over to where I’m standing and I quietly tell him about the statues. “Past lives? Katara, you really believe in that stuff?” Sokka isn’t trying to be mean, but he sucks at making it sound like it. “It’s true. When the Avatar dies, he’s reincarnated into the next nation in the cycle.” When I turn back, Aang is staring at an empty pedestal, next to a Fire Nation Avatar. That spot would be an Air Nomadic Avatar, it would be Aang’s place… if he was there. After a moment of silence and a pained look on his face, Aang turns to look up at the Fire Nation’s most recent Avatar in awe. Wait, not awe exactly, it’s more like he’s hypnotized, that </span>
  <em>
    <span>definitely</span>
  </em>
  <span> can’t be good. I rush over and start to shake him awake, “Aang, snap out of it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he comes to, I ask him, “Who is that?” I look up at the statue of the tall man, his face more serious than a statue should be able to come across as. “That’s Avatar Roku, the Avatar before me.” I know that deep down, but it still surprises me that he can admit it so openly. “You were a Firebender? No wonder I didn’t trust you when we first met.” My brother says, dumbly. I look back at the statue to see where Aang could have known that from, but there isn’t anything to indicate where he got the information. “There’s no writing. How do you know his name?” Aang looks away, “I’m not sure. I just know it somehow.” Sokka groans “You just couldn’t get any weirder.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ok. Ok ok ok ok ok. Cool. Great. This is fine. This is completely fine. Weirder noises than the weird iceberg boy’s explanation of not knowing how he knows things. Said weird noises coming from the dimly lit, only exit to the creepy dark statue room in the secluded, abandoned, impossible to reach Air Temple. This is totally fine. A large shadow appears in the doorway… </span>
  <em>
    <span>Not fine, not fine, totally not fine, extremely not fine, what is that what is that whatisthatwhatisthatwhatisthat-</span>
  </em>
  <span> I keep my cool as we hide behind a pair of statues. I whisper over to Katara and Aang, “Firebender. Nobody make a sound.” Katara, always needing to argue, whispers back defiantly “You’re making a sound.” Thankfully Aang agrees and shushes her with me. I raise my club, ready to attack, and whisper mostly to myself “That Firebender won’t know what hit him.” As the shadow enters my vision I stand up further, readying myself to rush him once he gets close enough. I turn and ready my weapon to face- The creature chitters curiously, and I feel like a fool. “Lemur!” Aang shouts, while I drool “Dinner.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zhao re-enters the tent confidently, stating “My search party is ready. Once I’m out at sea, my guards will escort you back to your ship, and you will be free to go.” Arrogance, does he really think he can do a better job at finding the boy than me? “Why? Are you worried I’m going to try and stop you?” I turn to look at him sarcastically, and he laughs sarcastically back. That bitch. “Ha ha ha! You… stop me? Impossible.” I stand, roughly shoving my chair back. “Don’t underestimate me, Zhao. I will capture the Avatar before you.” </span>
  <b>I have to find him</b>
  <span>. “Prince Zuko, that’s enough.” Uncle reprimands. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I swear this man, I love my Uncle but dammit he’s getting on my </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>nerves</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span> today.</span>
  </em>
  <span> “You can’t compete with me. I have hundreds of warships under my command, and you, you’re just a banished prince. No home, no allies. Your own father doesn’t even want you.” Oh he did not just say that. I know he did not just say that. “You’re wrong. Once I deliver the Avatar to my Father, he will welcome me home with honor and restore my rightful place on the throne.” “If your father really wanted you home, he would have let you return by now, Avatar or no Avatar. But in his eyes, you are a failure and a disgrace to the Fire Nation.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s not true!” I warn, this frantic feeling in my chest growing, this overwhelming sense of loss and anger, regret and fear making my hands clench tightly. “You have the scar to prove it.” I explode, all thoughts of letting him live after such insult gone from my mind. “Maybe you’d like one to match!” I shout, shoving my face into his. “Is that a challenge?” Before that useless Uncle of mine can intervene I yell “An Agni Kai at sunset.” Zhao pauses and finally looks at me seriously, “Very well. It’s a shame your father won’t be here to watch me humiliate you. I guess your uncle will do.” Zhao walks away, and Uncle Iroh comes up behind me slowly. “Prince Zuko, have you forgotten what happened the last time you dueled a master?” How dare he, when he did nothing either time to stop this from happening. This sense of harmonious upset in my chest, as if my soul was resonating with another that held the same discontent as I. This power is what leads me to believe in myself and my strength, even if my Uncle does not. Somewhere out there, someone or something feels me, and it wants me to crush Zhao. “I will never forget.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I chase the lemur feeling my heart pounding. I’m getting frustrated way too quickly. Something isn’t right, but honestly, I’m just trying to hold onto something positive and catching this lemur is the most fun I can have knowing what I’ll eventually have to come to terms with. As the lemur dives into an overgrown building and I follow, “Hey! Come back! Come on out, little lemur.” Entering the building, I slow my pace so as not to scare it, murmuring “That hungry guy won’t bother you anymore.” When I lift the cloth shades further inside, I stop at the sight before me.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There have to be 30- no, maybe more- all of them, their bones, the red from their uniforms still blood red even after all this time. I’m silent, still, what else can I be? They shouldn’t be here, they shouldn’t have been able to get here. He shouldn’t be there, in the center, laying there surrounded by their corpses. Not him, maybe Monk Shalo would be there, it couldn’t be him, he was so gentle, but also so terribly wise, so intelligent. He was the greatest Airbender in the world. “Gyatso…” I fall to my knees, the pounding in my head, in my heart, in my mind, it’s all too much. I knew, I knew the truth, but to see it? To really see it, before it was simply emptiness but now it’s here, it’s real, </span>
  <b>and it’s my fault. It’s my fault, I let them die, I failed them</b>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>It’s burning, so hot, so cold. The snow is red, the flame is white. Do you feel what I feel? Do you see what I see? Are these thoughts yours or mine? Do you understand me? My pain, the devastation, do you despise them like I do? I feel you. It hurts so much, I want them to hurt like they hurt me. I am unloved, it’s my fault, I am alone, it’s my fault, I am angry, I want to be. I want them to burn like they burned me. I want to set them on fire, show them the respect they deserve which is none. I am selfish, I am a monster, so what does that make them? Am I alone? Or are you with me? If you are… then let’s suffer together.</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Aang, you find my dinner yet? Aang, I wasn’t really gonna eat the lemur, ok? … Oh, man… Come on, Aang. Everything will be alright. Let’s get out of here. Aang? </span>
  <em>
    <span>Aang?</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Remember your firebending basics, Prince Zuko. They are your greatest weapons.” “</span>
  <b>
    <em>I refuse to let him win.</em>
  </b>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Suddenly, the eyes of all the statues start glowing. “Aang!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That fire in his eyes, those eyes did not belong to my nephew, those were the eyes of a being far older than a 16 year old boy.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Earth Kingdom, the Northern Water Tribe, the Fire Nation, the temples there all glow brightly, and it can only mean one thing. “Send word to the Fire Lord immediately. The Avatar has returned.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I stand and turn to face the foolish teen that dared challenge me, but I am met with the eyes of a man filled with the unsatiated bloodlust of a century long wait. This couldn’t possibly be the prince from two years ago.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aang’s tattoos glow like in the iceberg when we found him, the air around us starts to pick up. I can’t see his face, but I know this feeling isn’t just grief. Despite never being near the war, I understand the feeling you get when you're near someone ready to kill. The air isn’t cold, it’s hot, like fire, yet it stings like ice. “Aang, come on! Snap out of it!” I’m thrown back by the strong wind, what’s left of the crippled building is torn apart.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The prince attacks first, his fire feels like a knife jutting towards me, but I won’t be shaken by the attitude of a meer teenager. I continue to dodge, but admit his strikes are well aimed, masterfully controlled. I’d thought that his quick temper would translate into his bending, but perhaps General Iroh is a better teacher than I’d thought. Zuko begins attacking more forward, using his legs and moving into my range. Even so I remain defensive, he will use up his energy if he keeps attacking so quickly and viciously, at least that’s what I’m hoping for.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>I feel his strength, I feel his pain, I’ve lost, I will not lose. Strike, I am safe here, dodge, nothing can reach me, move in closer towards his weakness, this shield I’ve created is indestructible. He is beneath me, his strike does not reach, I refuse to let him near.</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>“Basics, Zuko. Break his root!” He can only hear himself now, however many of himself that is. Even so, I pray that my voice reaches him, wherever he may be. I will do anything to protect my nephew, even if I have to betray my own family to do it. He is my only hope, Zuko must win.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What happened?” “He found out Firebenders killed Gyatso.” “Oh, no. It’s his Avatar Spirit. He must have triggered it. I’m gonna try and calm him down.” “Well, do it, before he blows us off the mountain!” Pushing through the wind, I pray my voice reaches him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zuko cannot escape my flames now that he’s wasted his energy, I was put on edge by the look in his eyes before, but now I really see just how young and inexperienced he truly is. He takes strike after strike, slowly but surely being pushed back. Eventually, by my fourth strike I’ve knocked him down. I jump at him, ready to throw the final blow, and give him a matching scar on his right eye.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>Move. You are the Avatar, your power is absolute.</em>
  </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In one fluid motion, Zuko dodges the attack and sweeps Zhao’s foot out from beneath him. This breaks his stance making Zhao fall completely while allowing Zuko to regain his own stance. As Zhao quickly gets back up, he has no time to reposition his stance before Zuko pushes him back. Zhao finally loses his balance and falls on his back, my nephew taking position above him. “Do it!” Zhao screams, he knows of his defeat, and as in the demands of an Agni Kai expects his punishment. But that look, that look in my nephew’s eyes, it is the look of a man capable of death. Zuko strikes as I prepare to intervene, he should never have to kill, I could never let him live with such an action. The death never comes, and I pray for another mercy than the one he’s shown to his opponent. I pray that no one had seen the glow in his eyes, and on his scar, however brief it was they would have known. That light was not human.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s it? Your father raised a coward.” I breathe in, and I am </span>
  <b>
    <em>us</em>
  </b>
  <span>, I breathe out, and I am Prince Zuko. I look at my opponent, not a coward but certainly scum. “Next time you get in my way, I promise, I won’t hold back.” At that I turn and walk away, pacing back to my Uncle who watches me with a mixture of relief and concern. My foolish opponent attempts to strike me when my back is turned. </span>
  <b>
    <em>That was a mistake</em>
  </b>
  <span>. But before I can stop the attack myself, Uncle has thrown Zhao back to the ground. Still, with this foreign energy coursing through me, I attempt to make good on my promise. Uncle holds me back, “No, Prince Zuko. Do not taint your victory.” He then turns to address Zhao himself. “So this is how the great Commander Zhao acts in defeat? Disgraceful. Even in exile, my nephew is more honorable than you. Thanks again for the tea. It was delicious.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I follow behind my Uncle, leaving the arena. The energy coursing through me has dwindled, but I can still feel it there as if it were sleeping, just underneath my skin. It isn’t angry anymore, but the loss is still there. I won, and I won with honor, </span>
  <b>
    <em>I am not a failure, not so long as I have you</em>
  </b>
  <span>. “Did you really mean that, Uncle?” I don’t particularly care what he says, I don’t feel alone anymore like I used to, I somehow feel soothed in the presence of this melancholy spirit, but it’s still nice when he jokingly reassures  “Of course. I told you ginseng tea is my favorite.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Aang, I know you’re upset, and I know how hard it is to lose the people you love. I went through the same thing when I lost my mom. Monk Gyatso and the other Airbenders may be gone, but you still have a family. Sokka and I, we’re your family now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>I am not alone. I found you, I am whole again, I will be yours again. I will stay by your side once more.</em>
  </b>
  <span> Hearing Katara’s words is reassuring, but not as reassuring as this feeling in my chest. My head, my heart, my mind, they have calmed. I am not angry anymore, I am content that I know they are out there. I know I will find them, because now, they are looking for me too, and the fire in my chest is warm and comforting. It’s the most comforting feeling in the world.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Katara and I aren’t gonna let anything happen to you. Promise.” Katara grabs my hand, and the vision and light fades. I am not </span>
  <b>
    <em>us</em>
  </b>
  <span> anymore, I’m just Aang, and that’s ok. “I’m sorry.” I tell them, but I know they won’t understand why. I lied to them and they don’t know it, but it still feels good in that moment when she tells me “It’s ok. It wasn’t your fault.” It was, but that’s fine for now, because now I can fix things. I am the last Airbender, but I have another duty I must attend to, one far more sacred and secret than any other thing in my people’s culture. “Thank you, I promise I’ll get better. After I go to sleep, I’ll be better.” Katara holds me tighter, and I can feel Sokka’s hand on my shoulder. I’m not alone anymore, I have a purpose, I will restore the honor of the Avatar.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As we ride out and the temple grows further away, I wake up and find the lemur from before staring at me. “Hey little guy, what are you doing here?” Sokka pipes up from Appa’s reins, “He gave me food so I decided not to cook him, also when we were getting ready to leave he just jumped on Appa and decided to come with us.” Katara giggles at the memory, “We couldn’t agree on what to call him, so we decided to let you name him.” I think for a moment, and looking back at the fading temple, I pick “Momo.” Turning away from my old home, I move up and take up the reins. Once Sokka has settled down in the back with Katara, I turn ahead and whisper so only Momo and Appa can hear. “You, me, and Appa- we’re all that’s left of the Air Temple. We have to stick together. Make sure to get along with each other from now on.” The clouds creep in, and what was left behind is no longer seen, but never forgotten.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you all so much for reading, leaving comments, and for giving kudos! Please continue to leave comments and let me know what you think! I hope the dots are starting to connect for you all about this AU ;) Till next week!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4: The Warriors of Kyoshi</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>AAAAAAH!!!! SUKI TIME!!!!!!! Thanks to me beta reader Memo for dealing with my dumbness and procrastination, hope you all enjoy!<br/>Also, Iroh, what are you hiding?</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It’s been a week since I first lost the trial of the Avatar, and since then I’ve felt a strange sort of peace beyond my irritation of not capturing him. I’ve taken up meditation since that time, deciding that it might be good for me to explore this new and powerful energy within me. As I breathe, the candles’ flames in front of me grow and ebb as I do. The sound of the waves beyond the metal ship’s walls are rhythmic and beckoning. I feel the air in the room around me hum and sing gently to the back of my mind. I hear the footsteps outside my door before it opens, the iron hinges creaking as the twist. “The only reason you should be interrupting me is if you have news about the Avatar.” I know it’s my Uncle who entered now as he speaks, “Well, there is news, Prince Zuko, but you might not like it. Don’t get too upset.” I feel at peace, and besides, it is unbecoming of a Firebender to lose control of their emotions. “Uncle, you taught me that keeping a level head is a sign of a great leader. Now, whatever you have to say, I’m sure I can take it.” He breathes in and responds easily, “Ok, then. We have no idea where he is.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>… “</span>
  <b>What?!</b>
  <span>” I yell, the candles’ flames leaping high into the ceiling, quickly consuming the wall scroll in front of them in our rage. Uncle calmly pulls out a fan from his sleeve, “You really should open a window in here.” </span>
  <b>You can’t be serious!</b>
  <span> “Give me the map!” I say as I grab it out of his hands. “There have been multiple sightings of the Avatar, but he is impossible to track down.” I feel a tugging in my chest, my spirit leaping onto the page of the map, scanning it as much as my eyes do as if we could see where he was heading off of it. “How am I going to find him, Uncle? He is clearly a master of evasive maneuvering.” Looking at the map I’m unable to determine where the boy could possibly be headed. All I can think of is that wherever he stops next must be somewhere important, somewhere I can find him. My eyes are drawn to a lonely island in the corner, and I can’t help but think that that’s as good a place as any to look.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You have no idea where you’re going, do you?” At this point the map could be upside down and I’d have a better guess at where we are than Aang. “Well, I know it’s near water.” Cheeky little monk boy. “ I guess we’re getting close, then.” Looking around there is literally only ocean and sky, so I take back my previous statement. Don’t these Flying Bison have some sort of homing instinct? A land detector? Katara is sewing up a pair of my pants, completely unbothered by our apparent lostness. Aang says something to the lemur and after some shuffling he calls up to my sister. “Hey, Katara, check out this Airbending trick.” I can’t see what he’s doing from back where I’m pouting- I mean, leisurely relaxing, but it can’t be that great cause she doesn’t even turn around. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s great, Aang.” “You didn’t even look.” he deflates. She looks up this time and repeats “That’s great.” “But I’m not doing it now.” Ha. Poor guy. I turn to Aang and tell him “Stop bugging her, Airhead. You need to give girls space when they do their sewing.” It’s true, back at the village when we were little, I’d always try to help, but the ladies would just get mad and shoo me away, rude. “What does me being a girl have to do with sewing?” Oh no, I really did it this time. I shouldn’t explain, I suck at explaining, I’m just gonna make her more- “Simple. Girls are better at fixing pants than guys. And guys are better at hunting and fighting and stuff like that. It’s just the natural order of things.” I’m such an idiot, I sounded sexist. Yeah, that’s right! I know what sexism is! I just, I’m bad at not sounding it, okay?! She looks at me angrily, but then grins wickedly as she says “All done with your pants. And look what a great job I did.” Then she throws them at me only half finished. “Wait! I was just kidding! I can’t wear these! Katara, please!” Aang chuckles at my strife, “Relax, Sokka. Where we’re going you won’t need any pants.” At that we all settle back down as Aang apparently remembers where he’s going.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We just made a pit stop yesterday. Shouldn’t we get a little more flying done before we camp out?” It’s weird how often my sister is agreeing with me lately, but not unwanted. “He’s right. At this rate, we won’t get to the North Pole until spring.” As Aang looks around the island and the cove, he turns to Appa. “But Appa’s tired already, aren’t you boy?” Appa is clearly not tired, and grunts unconcerned. “I said, aren’t you, boy?” He knocks his elbow lightly into Appa’s shoulder, and on cue Appa lets out a very fake yawn. “Yeah, that was real convincing. Still, hard to argue with a 10 ton magical monster.” While I share a look with Katara, Aang runs up to the water’s edge having spotted something. He grins and points out into the water, “Look!” and as we move to his side the biggest fish I’ve ever seen swell up out of the water in a huge splash.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s why we’re here-- Elephant Koi, and I’m gonna ride it.” Aang tells us as he strips down and prepares to dive in. “Katara, you’ve gotta watch me.” When he finally jumps in, like a Puffin Seal in a boiling pot, he jumps right back out screaming about how cold the water is. I glance at Katara and make the universal hand signal of ‘He’s crazy.’, but she just shrugs at me and walks away from the shore. I stay and watch him swim out, feeling kind of bad for Aang due to my sister’s lack of interest. I mean, I know I sound dumb and never really say the right thing, but even I can tell when a guy’s got a crush on my sister. A few moments later, one of those Elephant thingies emerges from the water with tiny little Aang hanging off of its dorsal fin. Not bad, kid. </span>
  <span>By now, Katara returned to the shoreline and gazed in amazement at Aang. She whoops and waves out to him, Momo jumping up and down from the excitement of it all. “He looks pretty good out there.” Heh, yeah he does! “Are you kidding?The fish is doing all the work.” Dang it, why can’t I just compliment someone, am I a bad person? Nah, I can’t be, I have a sister! Speaking of, Katara glances back and the grin on her face abruptly changes to alarm. “No, Appa! Don’t eat that!” Appa’s a big guy, I’m sure he’ll be fine.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As I’m watching Aang, I notice something weird. An even bigger shadow trails behind the fish that Aang is riding with, and a chill runs up my spine as I imagine what it could be; dangerous. “There’s something in the water!” Katara runs back, hurriedly asking “What’s wrong?” I spare her only a moment before trying to warn him again. “Aang’s in trouble. Aang!” “Get out of there! Come in!” “Get back here, Aang!” We wave and shout, but he’s too far out to really understand what we’re saying, so he just ignorantly waves back excitedly. As he does, he loses his grip as the fish is suddenly pulled back, flinging him out into the open water. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Just as I’m thinking it can’t get worse, a humongous black fin rises out of the water and towers over Aang’s body. The shadow it casts makes it impossible to see where Aang is in comparison to its massive scale. I hear him scream, and as the fin turns to face the shore vertically, I catch sight of Aang running on top of the water! The creature chases after him, but thankfully Aang is quicker and makes it back to shore. It gurgles upset and turns back out to the open cove waters. “What was that thing?” I mean, why would Aang swim here if he knew it was that dangerous?! “I don’t know.” Oh, so it’s new, ok. “Well, let’s not stick around to find out. Time to hit the road.” Sokka gets up from where he fell after catching Aang, wiping his hands from the dirt. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Just as my brother turns to fetch Appa, people tackle us from the trees and before I know it, we’re all tied up and blind folded. “Or, we could stay awhile.” Very funny, Sokka. Our captors lug us up and start carrying us to who knows where. It’s a quiet, but surprisingly quick journey. When we are set down again, we’re tied up to some sort of wooden pole, and I can hear a lot of hushed whispering around us. A man then speaks: “You three have some explaining to do.” We have some explaining to do?! You’re the ones that kidnapped us for no reason! A girl’s voice follows the man’s in a more commanding tone: “And if you don’t answer all of our questions, we’re throwing you back in the water with the Unagi.” Ah, so that’s what that thing is called.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Show yourselves, cowards!” Sokka shouts, and he might sound tough, but I know he’s totally shaking. They take off all of our blind folds, and when I can see again I’m presented with a quaint little town, the townspeople hiding behind a group of young and honestly gorgeous female warriors. “Who are you? Where are the men who ambushed us?” The one closest to us, apparently the leader, takes a menacing step towards my brother, shaking her fist angrily. “There were no men! We ambushed you. Now tell us, who are you and what are you doing here?” Wow, not gonna lie, even though she’s holding us against our will, this girl is kinda my new idol. Then my stupid brother had to go and ruin it. “Wait a second. There’s no way a bunch of girls took us down.” Why is he so stupid? I refuse to believe that all boys are this dumb, how else will I ever find a husband? She grabs Sokka by his dumb collar and pushes up into his space, mocking him. “A bunch of girls, huh? The Unagi’s going to eat well tonight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Uh oh, Katara to the rescue. “No, don’t hurt him! He didn’t mean it! My brother’s just an idiot sometimes.” The girl turns and observes me before letting go of Sokka, when Aang pipes up. “It’s my fault. I’m sorry we came here. I wanted to ride the Elephant Koi.” Oh, Aang, I hate that you always blame yourself. It’s not your fault, you haven’t been here in over a century, there’s no way you’d know the people had gotten this cautious and closed-off. Sadly, now isn’t a good time for me to comfort him, and when he finishes speaking the man continues questioning us. “How do we know you’re not Fire Nation spies? Kyoshi stayed out of the war so far and we intend to keep it that way.” I’m honestly shocked! I would think that a man wearing clothes so similar to the Water Nation’s clothing would recognize ours, but I guess these people have gone beyond the point of trusting physical appearances.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Aang hears the name of the island, he brightens incredibly and questions back “This island is named for Kyoshi? I know Kyoshi.” The man barks out a laugh, “How could you possibly know her? Avatar Kyoshi was born here 400 years ago. She’s been dead for centuries.” As the man gazes up to the top of the pole, that’s when I realize it’s a totem, and I see what I assume is a wooden doll meant to represent what Avatar Kyoshi looked like. Aang thinks for a moment, a worried expression on his face. He seems to finally come up with an answer and replies warily “I know her because I’m the Avatar.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Uncle and I sit for dinner, and as we are being served imported fish, the server informs us of the Avatar’s whereabouts. I’ll admit, I didn’t expect to find out like this. I’d hoped to track him there on my own, but Aang is much smarter than I originally assumed him to be. “The Avatar is on Kyoshi Island?” I mumble to myself. It seems my intuition was right, if we’d have gone through that channel it would have taken us twice as long to get there. There was also the chance that we wouldn’t have even heard of the Avatar’s whereabouts in time to catch up. “Uncle, ready the rhinos. He’s not getting away from me this time.” I stand and go to get dressed and to prepare any supplies I might need. It will only take two days, a day and a half if we hurry, to get to Kyoshi. I doubt that they’ll be gone by that point, probably resting the flying beast after traveling all of that open ocean. “Are you going to finish that?” … “I was going to save it for later!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s a bit odd, which isn’t something I’ve thought about Zuko for a while now. He’s always been an odd boy, especially considering the circumstances of his birth. He has always been surprising, even before he was born! I chuckle a bit at the thought, remembering Ursa and her pregnancy. It’s a tradition for the Fire Nation’s noble families to have the gender of their first born be divined by the Fire Sages. For over 400 years of their work, there has never been a time when they were this wrong, hahaha! They believed that Zuko would turn out to be a daughter born in the fall, but Zuko was born a boy and during one of the finest springs I’ve ever seen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ursa was worried at first, with Zuko being born so early and all, but I knew he would be fine. The Fates had all but decreed it so. He was a mild infant, never needing to cry, his laugh as soft as the warm breeze that follows the lines of the Nation’s maps, his eyes a kind and sweet honey. He was a child of spring, a spring that followed the summer gently, peacefully. Zuko is a gift, a precious piece of my life that I could never let be harmed, ever since I first held him I knew I would do anything to protect him… I just wish Ursa hadn’t felt the same. Maybe, then, Zuko would still have her by his side, maybe then it would make this next chapter of his life that much easier. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I watch as he readies himself, the skillful way he places every piece of armour, the efficiency of his movements, not a step out of place, not a glance without purpose. It is so different from the clumsy boy that I’d chase around the palace. He seems older now as I look at him, well he is of course but this is different, he has matured. Maturity isn’t a bad thing, but it is certainly not what I had expected now that we have found an Airbender boy. I’d expected him to be impatient, to rush about from one place to another, burning ash circling around him in the wake of his power. I had not expected this calmness, a strange sort of calm that I had only ever seen in the few wandering monks I would pass during my career. It is not the kind of calm you would expect from a sixteen year old boy. The fire in Zuko’s heart has tamed, or rather, it has found a fuel that keeps it from enraging, but still burning just as brightly. He reminds me a bit of myself when I was younger, how I was stubborn but in the way my tutors would say is “endearing”. He also has his humorous side, but sadly it is underdeveloped! He can be silly, and he is kind, he is brave and loyal, Zuko is a prince in all the best ways. He shows now all of the qualities my brother sought for in his son, if only he had let Zuko stay around to see it. Zuko is a wonderful nephew, prince, and soon enough I’m sure, leader. I only hope he doesn’t make the same mistakes I did in my youth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And 1, 2, 3- “Sorry, ladies. Didn’t mean to interrupt your dance lesson. I was just looking for somewhere to get a little workout.” … </span>
  <em>
    <span>Riiiiiiiiiight</span>
  </em>
  <span>… A workout… Him… “Well, you’re in the right place. Sorry about yesterday. I didn’t know you were friends with the Avatar.” Just remember what his sister said, he’s an idiot, probably doesn’t mean the dumb boy things he spouts. “It’s all right. I mean, normally I’d hold a grudge, but seeing as you guys are a bunch of girls, I’ll make an exception.” Just breathe, Suki, it’s fine, he’s just a dumb pretty boy. Wait pretty? Say something- “I should hope so. A big, strong man like you, we wouldn’t stand a chance.” You can do this Suki, you’re used to boys like him, just play the game like usual.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“True, but don’t feel bad. After all, I’m the best warrior in my village.” Dear Kyoshi, he’s making this easy. “Wow. Best warrior, huh? In your whole village? Maybe you’d be kind enough to give us a little demonstration.” Sokka’s eyes widen, and that’s when I know I’ve caught him boasting. Boys are so easy, it’s a shame this one is so cute. But, as a Kyoshi warrior, it’s my duty to bring guys like him a few pegs down the ladder. The embarrassment will be worth it if he learns something from it. I have a feeling he’s not as dumb as Katara says he is. He just sounds dumb. “Oh, well, I mean, I--” I turn to the already smirking girls behind me and stretch my arms out wide. “Come on, girls, wouldn’t you like him to show us some moves?” They chuckle and cheer their amused encouragement, goading him to take up the offer, else risk being seen running away from a challenge.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He glances to the door nervously, but ultimately plasters on a grin and squares his shoulders. Game on. “Well, if that’s what you want, I’d be happy to.” He shrugs nonchalantly and then steps to me, gently placing his hands on my shoulders. Wait, are his eyes blue-? “All right, you stand over there. Now, this may be a little tough, but try to block me.” Focus Suki, focus on his body, not his eyes, his body- wait does he actually work out? </span>
  <span>FOCUS!</span>
  <span> And he’s down. I can’t believe I just throat-punched him with my fan. It was a reflex, I’m sorry! He steps back and rubs his shoulder while chuckling nervously. Oh thank goodness it wasn’t a throat-punch. “Good. Of course, I was going easy on you.” “Of course.” I am so happy that I am so good at this, he doesn’t even notice I’m a total wreck! The face paints may have a hand in that, because I am most definitely red under all this.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let’s see if you can handle this!” He goes to kick my head, and I’m honestly impressed he got his foot up there, but it does nothing since I duck under and carefully jab him in the gut. I take him off balance as nicely as I can, but there’s nothing I can do for his dignity now. Sorry. “Anything else you wanna teach us?” I ask, driving it home by making the girls laugh. I honestly feel bad for embarrassing him, but I have a duty to uphold the honor of Kyoshi and its warriors. Men on the island rarely ever act up like this since the women have acted as its main militia for generations, but that doesn’t mean it never happens. From the few times I’ve met women that come from outside of my home, I’ve heard of the terrible ways they have been treated for merely existing. I will do everything in my power to ensure that those things never happen here. I’m certain that Sokka understands what he has done and said wrong, and if he is even a little bit like the man I think he is, I’m certain he’ll be back soon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I can’t believe this, that was definitely the most embarrassing moment of my life. Gosh, I can’t even run away right! After making my pitiful exit, I just paced around outside for a while, kicking rocks and peaking through the doorway when I didn’t think anyone was looking. Not only did I lie to a bunch of pretty girls, I lied to the face of the prettiest one, got my butt kicked, and made a fool of myself! To top it all off, I can’t say sorry to her, every time I try to go in there and say it, I just can’t. Those chicks are more manly than I’ll ever be. No, you know what? It doesn’t matter how embarrassing it was, or how cut-throat that leader chick was, or how pretty she is, she’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>really pretty</span>
  </em>
  <span>, I’m getting off topic. Anyways! I’m gonna go apologize, and hopefully they’ll let me watch them train, maybe? Right! Just walk in there, Sokka, you can do it!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uh, hey there, ladies…” The girls stop and Leader Chick steps up. “Hoping for another dance lesson?” I look away and at my feet, well, pretty much anything that isn’t her. “No, I-- Well, let me explain.” “Spit it out. What do you want?” Oh gosh, here goes nothing. I lower onto the mat and bow my head. I don’t know if this is a universal symbol of respect, but I hope she gets the message when I say “I would be honored if you would teach me.” For a moment she shifts, maybe not expecting me to apologize, and asks another question. “Even if I’m a girl?” I sigh, still not brave enough to look her in the eyes, “I’m sorry if I insulted you earlier. I was wrong.” I really hope this works, it’d be awesome if I could be as great and as cool as the Kyoshi Warriors. I know I have a lot to learn, I never finished my training before dad left, so there’s only so much I can do on my own. I have to get stronger, Katara and Aang probably don’t realize just how dangerous our situation is. The closer we get to the North Pole, the further we are away from home and the closer we get to the Fire Nation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>____________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>YES YES YES YES </span>
  <b>YES!!!!!</b>
  <span> HE’S PERFECT, SUCH A PERFECT PRETTY BOY </span>
  <em>
    <span>YES!!!!! </span>
  </em>
  <span>Ahem… Anyways… “We normally don’t teach outsiders, let alone boys.” That’s such a lie, there are plenty of guys, they just aren’t called Kyoshi Warriors, but let’s lie and make him feel special- “Please make an exception. I won’t let you down.” Oh my gosh he’s so cute, I will make every exception for you you perfect little Water Tribe prince- “All right, but you have to follow all of our traditions.” “Of course.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Foolish boy.</span>
  </em>
  <span> “And I mean </span>
  <em>
    <span>all of them</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” This is the best day of my entire life. About half an hour later, we’re back in the training pavilion, and Sokka looks amazing, courtesy of Xiya who does the best makeup. During that time he admits that he never found out my name and asks sheepishly what it is. I also find out that he’s been calling me ‘Pretty Leader Chick’ and just barely hold myself back from melting. “Do I really have to wear this? It feels a little… girly.” No, but you are pretty so you’ll wear the dress. “It’s a warrior’s uniform. You should be proud. The silk thread symbolizes the brave blood that flows through our veins. The gold insignia represents the honor of the warrior’s heart.” Sokka turns his chin up and smiles, placing his hands on his hips proudly. “Bravery and honor.” Wow he looks amazing. “Hey, Sokka. Nice dress.” Wow. The Avatar has impeccable timing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p>
  <span>We’ve been sailing for around a day now, and the winds have been fortunate. We’ll be able to make landfall on Kyoshi before sundown, which means the Avatar is definitely still there, I can feel it. To maintain my time I’ve been studying any and all scrolls of the island’s layout that I could find. From what I’ve been able to make out, the path to the main village is hidden, but easy to navigate once it’s been found. There is surprisingly little information, mostly impart due to the Kyoshinians refusal to pick a side in the war, and our troops having no way to chart the landscape under the heavy fire they receive when they try to invade. There are also reports of some kind of monstrous creature that lurks in the cove on the south side of the island, but the south side entrance is the easiest to access.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Uncle has been hovering around my office actively rather strangely. I feel like there’s something he wants to tell me, but he’s never been one to hold back important information. Whatever it is, if it’s not intel then it’s not my business until he makes it mine. Uncle has always been upfront with me, even though I know he has his secrets, I’ve always respected him. He’s never given me a reason not to, not like Father or Azula or even Mother… My Uncle is a good man, and even though others look down on him for his surrender at Ba Sing Se, even though others call him a traitor for openly admitting he’s against the war, I know he isn’t a coward or an enemy; General Iroh is a good man. So, I wait for him to come to me, I’ve begun to understand the patience that adults always preach about, sometimes it’s better to wait. Patience is a skill and a luxury that most cannot be afforded during times of war, I have that luxury and I will build up the skill to use it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I get the call that we’re about to dock when a sudden shift makes me practically slide out the door. “What’s going on? Are we under attack?” I run to get to the bow of the ship, hoping to figure out what’s going on. As soon as I make it out into the open, the creature the scrolls warned me of is staring into my very soul. It capsizes once more just as the ship makes landfall, and I order my men to immediately prepare for battle. Whether the Kyoshinians control that beast or not, I can’t let it wreck my ship or harm my crew. As we release the loading dock, I hop up onto my rhino, calling to my Uncle, “Get up! We have to ride now! Men, pull the ship out as soon as the dock closes, you have my permission to use your bending against the creature. Once you’ve made it to the opening of the cove, pull out and circle to the north side of the island and await further instructions there!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I then turn to the rest of the men riding with me. “I want the Avatar alive. Do not engage unless under direct fire or my orders, and don’t destroy anything in the village unnecessarily. We exit the ship and quickly find our path, heading straight to the village. I honestly thought we’d have to fend off guerrilla warfare, but the ride is quick and there isn’t any sign of us being so much as watched. When we make it to the village gate, we’re greeted by a massive totem pole and empty streets. It seems we had been watched, rather impressive I must say that we didn’t catch them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I call out into the village, the setting sun making my shadow imposing and elongated. “Come out, Avatar. You can’t hide from me forever.” And now we wait, if it comes down to a fight then so be it, but I’d rather not make myself seem like such an enemy. I’m more curious than vengeful of him, I want to know more. Why does he make himself an enemy of the Fire Nation? What grudge does he hold against us? Where is he going? What is it that he seeks? Peace? Glory? Honor? I want to talk to him on level ground, I want to understand. It’s been quiet for too long, at </span>
  <span>this point I doubt he hasn’t heard I’m searching for him. “Find him.” My soldiers ride ahead while I remain at the mouth of the town, searching for any indication of where he might be.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Suddenly, warriors from above tackle my men from their rhinos, and one heads straight towards me. I stand on my stead and aim a blast of fire with my firsts towards her feet. Predictably she veers away and so I again aim, but this time she managed to get close enough to dodge over it and head right towards me. I yank on my rhino’s reins, twisting it around, its tail slapping her away. I wince when she falls, but send flames to her feet again to discourage her from rising or being able to get close. Before they reach her, yet another warrior uses their golden fan and armoured body to block and slice through it. I almost lose myself focusing solely on them, but notice the third warrior that jumps from a roof at me. I manage to dodge the kick they send, and now we balance on the rhino together before engaging in hand to hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________<br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess training’s over.” Sokka says after saving me from that fire blast. He runs ahead as I stand, and I can’t help but smile a bit at how quickly he’s learned. Hya finally managed to get the Firebender off of his Komodo Rhino so we surround him. He growls out, frustrated, and uses a flaming spinkick to force us to back off. The force of the heat blasts Hya back into the house we’re standing in front of, and I get thrown into one of the support beams holding up the porch. Sokka is the only one who manages to stay on foot at first, but is quickly knocked down by the soldier. He jumps back out into the open road and calls out to Aang. “It doesn’t have to be like this, Avatar. Forcing others to fight your own battles. Come and face me! You don’t need to force innocent people to act as fodder for your escape! Come and face me instead of acting like a coward!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, over here!” When I turn towards the direction of the voice, I’m greeted with the small but confident form of the Avatar. “Finally.” I hear the Firebender say, quickly followed by a billowing tower of flame from his palm that climbs high into the sky, almost like he’s trying to reach for the clouds. Aang moves in faster than what should be possible, I can feel a strong gust follow behind him as he rushes the soldier. Before I can finish watching the fight, another soldier rushes towards us, so I grab Sokka’s hand and run us out the back door. “There’s no time to say goodbye.” “What about ‘I’m sorry’?” “For what?” Sokka looks at me sincerely. “I treated you like a girl when I should have treated you like a warrior.” Aw, so sweet. “I am a warrior…” Time to shoot my shot. I lean in and give him a kiss on the cheek, and when I pull back I’m glad to find him blushing. “But I’m a girl, too. Now get out of here. We’ll hold them off.” As he runs away, I’m glad I met him, and I hope that I get to see him again in the future, one of peace that he helped to bring.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I rush at Zuko, hoping to distract him from the villagers. Most of the soldiers return to his side, surrounding me, but with a swing of my staff most get sent back tumbling. I swing again to hit him around the shoulder, but he easily catches it and pulls me in close. “Why are you doing this? Why are you fighting me? It doesn’t have to be like this. Help me understand!” Looking into his eyes, I feel an odd connection, I feel like he really does mean what he says. But, looking at the state the village is in, I simply can’t trust that feeling, not when innocent people’s lives are at stake, just like he said. I blow out forcing the air to push him back. He releases my staff easily, purposefully letting go. I ready my stance, prepared to fight him and his soldiers, but when they advance he holds up a hand and stops them. “Leave him, make your way over to the ship, I’ll follow behind shortly.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I’m not the only one confused by this as his soldiers look to each other to understand if they heard his order correctly. Zuko pinches the bridge of his nose and sighs loudly before turning to them and shouting “Go! And tell the others to retreat as well!” When he turns back to me, I’m standing there dumbstruck. Isn’t he Fire Nation? Not just that, but the Prince of the Fire Nation? Wait, is he letting me go? Why? I have so many questions. I want to understand- When I look into his eyes, one severely burned and the other burning with questions, it dawns on me. He’s just as curious as I am. He doesn’t want to hurt me, he probably doesn’t even want to imprison me, he just wants answers. “Later.” His eyes widened. “What?” “I said later. It would be better if we didn’t talk out in the open for now. Sokka and Katara don’t trust you and the village is afraid of you. We can talk later, just the two of us. I promise, just watch for my signal and you’ll know how to find us.” At that I open my staff and glide off.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once I find Katara, we run to Appa with Momo following behind us. Once I have his reins in hand, we search for Sokka and after spotting him, pick him up and fly off. “Appa, yip yip!” As we ride up to the clouds and over the Unagi's cove, Katara comes up to the front saddle. “Listen, Aang. I know it’s hard, but you did the right thing. Zuko would’ve destroyed the whole place if we stayed. They’re going to be ok, Aang.” I know, Katara doesn’t understand what she thinks she does, but I know they’ll be fine. Zuko wouldn’t hurt them, at least I don’t think he will, he got what he wanted after all. Even so, I decide to do one last thing before leaving Kyoshi. Jumping off, I ride down to the water and use the Unagi to douse the town in water, putting out the fires there. I return back to Appa and at that, we ride off to the next stop along our journey. As we go, I still feel Prince Zuko’s eyes following me, never far behind.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Yes, I headcanon Suki as being a complete simp for pretty boys, it's not so much of a crush on him as it is her being absolutely taken with himbos. If you have any headcanons on the characters, let me know! I don't want to overwrite the fact that they're all still kids, so let them be silly! Thank you all again for reading, and I hope you all are looking forward to that conversation between Aang and Zuko as much as I am ;)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5 Interlude: The King of The Castle</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A brief interlude before we continue with our story. A look into the past, a conversation with spirits, can you hear them?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>It was a peaceful time, then, and a difficult decision to make. A mistake was made, and it was my lack of decision that caused it. He was my best friend, he became my greatest enemy, he started a war that no one could ever understand in our lifetimes. Only I am the one left to watch the pieces fall. This is not a tale that has been told, not yet at least. This is the untold story, the tale of the 100 Years War.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When I first met him, he could barely look me in the eyes. I’d watch him mercilessly just to see that nervousness of his, it always filled my chest with light and one day I couldn’t help but laugh. He had been watching me out of the corner of his eye while walking with Sozin, only Sozin, that trickster, knew this and steered him right into the pond! He fell in and came up sputtering, Sozin smirking carelessly and whispering to him. I laughed and he turned, and our eyes met for the first time, properly. I couldn’t wait to see those eyes for the rest of my life. I turned away and continued my studies, I heard Sozin laugh, I heard Roku protest, and then I heard the whispering of the trees as the wind faded into light…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When I was fourteen the monks came. My family was one of the highest of Fire Nation nobility, regardless of this it is customary to welcome the monks into your home. In their presence, we are to be humble, it is the law of nature, for they are the keepers of peace, the parentage of life, the whisperers of Spirits. They visited often in the Fire Nation when I was a child, it was my normal. After all, after Avatar Kyoshi’s passing, her successor would be born here. It was a normal afternoon, it was a summer’s day, it was the week of Roku and Sozin’s birthdays. It was not a normal day at all. I was told a secret, my family said their goodbyes, I was taken to learn, I understood. I was born to be with the Avatar, to love and protect him, to guide him. I did the best I could, I did the best I could. I should have been better, but Roku’s faults are my own. I love him after all, he is my soulmate, and I am his other half.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was my father, she was my mother, he was like an uncle. How did things become so dark when the world was overtaken by light? I remember my home, it became like it’s name, I got to see it grow from the spark of what was left behind, I’m happy that it is a place of life and ease now. My name is Rina, most do not remember this, I did nothing to be remembered for, nothing they would know of at least, nothing they would approve of at best. I am Rina, I am their daughter, I am noble, I am forgotten, but my name is not important, my story is. I remember his fear, I remember his son, I remember the screams. I remember when the monks stopped visiting. I remember the silence that followed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When the walls were built, when the palace was raised, when the world became obscenely bright, I couldn’t help but feel numb. No matter how hard they tried to erase what they’d done, we still remember, even when we claim it was ‘for the best’. I remember their faces, I remember their friends, my parents were kind and good, people haven’t met my eyes in years. We were noble, we are by blood, we are still in spirit. They thought they could take our honor, we never lost it, for we are on the right side of this war, we know the truth. They cannot silence us, they could not silence my mother, they cannot silence me, they cannot silence my daughter. She will bring to us the end of this war, the Sages have made their claim. Her husband thinks it will be his victory, he is wrong.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She was my mother, she was silent but never silenced, she taught me how strength can seem as delicate as a flower. She taught me all she knew, she taught me herbs, she taught me to heal, she taught me that healers are not to be underestimated. They are the closest beings to controlling life and death after all. I remember when it was my turn to be taken, like my mother and hers before me. I remember the men that took me, I remember the man I was promised to, I remember when he was kinder, I remember when he was a son too. I remember when he became strict, I remember when I could no longer send letters, I remember when I learned the truth. I was scared, I was scared of my future, I was scared of being alone. But, then I had him. He made me feel safe, he kept my secrets, he had secrets of his own, that didn’t bother me. All I did was protect my own, was that wrong of me? Should I have been stronger? Should I have left him behind? It was safer, wasn’t it? He was safe now, that’s all that mattered, but will he be able to protect him alone? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>My father is a good man, my mother was kind but unrecognizable, no one remembers the Crown Prince’s wife, those that remember me remember the sadness that followed him. I am his son, I watch him now in his grief, I watch him make my young friend strong, I watch him guide them, I watch him blame himself. I see him grow old, I see him fear, I see him tired, and I hope to see him rest soon. I fought for my people when I should have fought for what is right. It’s ok now though, he will gain back our honor. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Not gonna lie everyone, this chapter was difficult to get out. Sorry it's so short and vague, but if you can figure out it's meaning and who the narrators are you'll get a special treat! Let me know what you think and what theories you have in the comments!</p><p>Special tags for my beta-reader who makes it impossible not to laugh while I'm writing. #AangIsFruity #AvatarBumiThicc #Zuko'sThots #Gyatso'sCakePart2</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 5: Imprisoned</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So sorry it took so long to get this chapter up! My schedule will be going back to every/every other Friday like before, enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It felt great to be sitting under the canopy, the quiet only interrupted by the sounds of birds chirping and the chatter of the underbed. As I’m sitting near the spout of a small stream folding clothes, I hear Momo twitter and look up to see Sokka walking towards us. Aang jumps up and hops over to him, “Great, you’re back! What’s for dinner?” My brother quietly sits beside me and opens the sack he was carrying as Aang joins us. “We’ve got a few options. First, round nuts and some kind of oval-shaped nuts. And some rock-shaped nuts that might just be rocks. Dig in.” Aang and I look at each other, probably thinking the same thing as we each hold a small handful of various maybe-nuts. “Seriously, what else you got?” He pretty much shoves his face into the bag to see if there’s anything he missed. I hear Momo messing about behind me when a loud rumble echoes through the forest.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What was that?” Sokka questions aloud, all of us rising to our feet in case we need to run. A second one booms and this time Aang pinpoints its location. He points off to our right, “It’s coming from over there.” We share a glance and begin running towards the sound. Sokka calls to us, glaring “Shouldn’t we run away from huge booms, not toward them? Ugh.” Even Momo flies over to us as we duck behind a fallen log, Sokka joining regardless. We look out into a small canyon, or perhaps it’s an old dried up riverbed considering the small stream running through it. There I spot a young teen, probably around the same age as my brother, standing in front of a boulder even taller than him. He stomps his foot into the ground and moves his hands in fists to his left. To my amazement, the giant rock rises off of the ground and moves to the spot his fists are directed to. He holds it steady as he turns a full semicircle and punches it towards the wall, the stone forcing its way into position and resting in the canyon walls. “An Earthbender…” I mutter to myself, I knew we were in the Earth Kingdom but I didn’t expect to meet one so soon. Aang must have heard me and turns to face me, “Let’s go meet him.” “He looks dangerous, so we better approach cautiously.” Oops, I’m already shouting to him out in the open, “Hello there! I’m Katara! What’s your name?” Eh, I’m sure it’ll be fine, he seems like a nice guy.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He turns to me, huh-ing in response, and when he sees me he drops the boulder he was lifting and runs. Well, that’s kinda rude, or maybe he’s shy? He leaps and tosses his hands down, calling down a storm of boulders that block the way he went. I’m gonna go with shy here, anything else will hurt my confidence probably. “Nice to meet you!” Did we really meet him though, Aang? “I just wanted to say ‘hi’.” Aang thinks for a moment before saying “Hey, that guy’s gotta be running somewhere. Maybe we’re near a village? And I bet that village has a market.” I realize what he’s getting at and reply, “Which means no nuts for dinner!” We run to where the boy went off and I distantly hear Sokka complain about how hard he worked to get those nuts. As he catches up he mutters to himself, “Yeah, I hate them, too.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After walking for a while, we reach a small village just as the sun starts to set. Aang is asking about a hat and the old man gives it to him to try on. I continue searching the town until I notice the boy from before entering a shop. “Hey!” I run over to enter the same one as Aang and Sokka follow behind with Aang’s new hat. When I open the door, I see him standing at the front counter talking to the woman behind it. “Hey! You’re that kid.” His head jerks up and gasps when he turns and recognizes me. “Why did you run away before?” I ask, walking further into the shop with my brother and Aang coming in behind me leisurely. His eyes shift and he tries his best to act like we’re strangers, clearly nervous. What’s he hiding? All I wanted to do was say hi. “Uh… You must have me confused with some other kid.” “No she doesn’t. We saw you Earthbending.” When Aang says this, both him and the woman, who I’m guessing is his mom, gasp and look frightened. She quickly runs to the windows and slams down the shutters, closing the front door in the process. “They saw you doing what?” “They’re crazy, mom. I mean, look at how they’re dressed.” Hey! At least we’re not covered in dirt! “You know how dangerous that is. You know what can happen if </span>
  <em>
    <span>they</span>
  </em>
  <span> caught you Earthbending.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Just as I’m about to ask who ‘they’ are, a hard knock is struck on the front door and a man shouts “Open up!” Sokka runs to the woman’s side and peaks through the blinds. Quietly he informs us “Fire Nation. Act natural.” What does natural mean? What is acting natural? What is a natural thing to do in a store? Uhhh, food! When one of the soldiers walks in his face goes from smug to confused, and I understand why. The boy and Sokka are staring at an apple in his hands, Aang is trying to casually lean on a barrel and falls, and I have a ton of berries shoved in my mouth and probably look like I just ate a live bird and got caught. “What do you want? I’ve already paid you this week.” The soldier turns back to the woman, who is clearly upset. “The tax just doubled. We wouldn’t want an accident, would we?” The man’s hands spark and light with swirling flames, at this point we’ve all dropped the act and stand uncomfortably watching him. “Fire is sometimes so hard to control.” She looks as if she’s about to object before resigning and moving to the cash register. She pulls out a small wooden box and opens it, revealing a few sparse coins and a carving on the underside of the lid; it’s of two people holding hands under two trees and a cloud.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She pulls out all of the coins and hands them to the soldier, he smugly looks at them in his hand and tells her “You can keep the copper ones.” and drops them on the floor. He leaves with the other soldiers in his group as the woman kneels down to collect the change he dropped. “Nice guy. How long has the Fire Nation been here?” Sokka questions. “Five years. Fire Lord Ozai uses our town’s coal mines to fuel his ships.” “They’re thugs. They steal from us. And everyone here is too much of a coward to do anything about it.” “Quiet, Haru! Don’t talk like that!” Haru, as I now know his name, and his mother are just going back and forth, I hate to see them fight. “But Haru’s an Earthbender. He can help.” Haru’s mom turns on me and I start to regret putting myself in between them. “Earthbending is forbidden. It’s caused nothing but misery for this village. He must never use his abilities.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How can you say that? Haru has a gift. Asking him not to Earthbend is like asking me not to Waterbend. It’s a part of who we are.” His mom only shakes her head and sighs, “You don’t understand.” I plead with her, “I understand that Haru can help you fight back. What can the Fire Nation do to you that they haven’t done already?” “They could take Haru away, like they took his father.” I-I had no idea… What has the world done to earn the Fire Nation’s wrath like this?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My mom said you can sleep here tonight. But, you should leave in the morning.” “Thanks. I’ll make sure Appa doesn’t eat all your hay.” What a sweet kid, weird, but sweet. I walk out of the barn with the Waterbending girl, Katara, and we start talking. “I’m sorry about what I said earlier. I didn’t know about your father.” She’s kinda pushy, but really motivated and kind, I kinda like her. “That’s ok. It’s funny. The way you were talking back in the store, it reminded me of him.” Is it weird I compared her to my father? “Thanks.” Oh ok, good, that didn’t weird her out so I’ll keep talking. “My father was very courageous. When the Fire Nation invaded, he and the other Earthbenders were outnumbered 10 to 1. But they fought back anyway.” I look at her, and yes, she’s still paying attention. “He sounds like a great man.” We walk up to the edge of a cliff and look out over the setting sun. “After the attack, they rounded up my father and every other Earthbender and took them away. We haven’t seen them since.” I kneel down and touch the ground there on the ledge, remembering it all. “So that’s why you hide your Earthbending.” “Yeah. The problem is, the only way I can feel close to my father now is when I practice my bending. He taught me everything I know.” I look out over the land beneath us, the dust from the rocks I crushed in my hand being taken by the wind. Katara sits next to me and says “See this necklace? My mother gave it to me.” I turn to look at it, it’s a circular gemstone with waves carved into it. “It’s beautiful.” “I lost my mother in a Fire Nation raid. This necklace is all I have left of her.” Oh, bummer. “It’s not enough, is it?” “No.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Haru has gone through a lot, he and I share so many similarities. His feelings are so deep, our thoughts are nearly identical. We left the cliffside and began to quietly walk together with no particular destination in mind. As we approach what looks to be a mine, the tunnel floods with dust and dirt, we hear a yell and a cry for help. We immediately run to the collapsed entrance and spot an old man buried under the rubble. “Help me!” Haru goes and holds back the rocks from toppling over while I try to pull the man from under the rocks. I pull him as hard as I can, but the rocks are too heavy and I’m afraid I’ll break something if I pull harder. “Ah! It’s not working! We have to get help!” “There’s no time! Pull harder!” I look at the scene and come to a decision, I can only hope that Haru will follow my lead. “Haru, there’s a way you can help him.” He looks pained and afraid when he replies “I-I can’t.” I sigh and stare into his eyes, urging him “Please. There’s no one around to see you. It’s the only way!” He looks conflicted for a moment before running ahead of us and taking position. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I hold the man and do my best to keep dirt from his eyes and stop any rocks from hitting his head. Haru breathes in deeply, his face determined as he examines the rocks and figures out what he needs to do. The small pebbles around the larger rocks begin to hover around me, and I watch him pull his arms back and throw them in front of himself with force. The boulders behind us rush back further into the mines leaving the man left uncovered and me standing in awe. “Haru, you did it!” He smiles and walks over to where I sit and the old man lays, leaning down to help me pick him up. Together we walk him back to the village and find him medical help. When we have a moment alone with him, we both do our best to convince him to keep the event a secret and leave with the comfort that he understands.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>We walk back to Haru’s home and the barn together, and when we reach it we say our goodnights. I tell Sokka and Aang about what they missed, Aang telling me that it was cool and brave that I helped save the man, and Sokka of course worrying and complaining about getting caught bending in front of strangers. “It was so brave of Haru to use his Earthbending to help that old man.” Aang is laying on Appa’s head while we talk, Sokka and I in our sleeping bags for rest. “You must have really inspired him.” I smile at Aang’s words and look at the lit lamp in my hands. “I guess so.” Sokka turns over and adds his own opinion, “Everyone should get some sleep. We’re leaving at dawn.” Ugh, he has to ruin everything. “Dawn? Can’t we sleep in for once?” “Absolutely not! This village is crawling with Fire Nation troops. If they discover you’re here, Aang, we’ll be eating fireballs for breakfast. Good night.” Slyly, I poke fun at him by saying “I’d rather eat fireballs than nuts.” He turns to glare at me, “Good. Night.” Aang and I chuckle, but nonetheless get more comfortable. I blow out the lantern and rest my head, listening to Appa’s deep breaths and Momo’s soft chittering as I drift off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Honestly, I don’t think any of us thought we’d come across a situation like this. I’m not new to war, I studied all about the wars of the past back at the Eastern Temple. I knew about all of the horrible things that had happened in them before, and I wasn’t trying to ignore the fact I’d been thrust into the middle of one now. But, even despite knowing this, I can’t fully articulate the shock I felt when Katara burst through the barn doors as we were packing to leave. “They took him! They took Haru away!” Sokka and I rose slowly to our feet, still trying to comprehend her words beyond our fuzzy morning brains. “What?” I reply dumbly. Katara starts rambling to us, filled with guilt. “The old man turned him in to the Fire Nation. It’s all my fault! I forced him into Earthbending.” Sokka approaches her, “Slow down, Katara. When did this happen?” It’s good to know that Sokka can handle this, because despite my incredible knowledge of situations like this, I am totally freaking out right now. “Haru’s mother said they came for him at midnight.” Katara manages to calm down and pull herself together enough to look at Sokka for guidance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She doesn’t exactly find it, though. “Then it’s too late to track him. He’s long gone.” Dang it, Sokka. But, to my surprise, this doesn’t faze Katara, if anything she seems more determined. It’s almost as if she already planned what to do in her head before coming in here. Hmmm… “We don’t need to track him. The Fire Nation is going to take me right to Haru.” I don’t like the sound of this, “And why would they do that?” She turns to face outside the open doors of the barn and says something that I never thought she would say. “Because they’re going to arrest me for Earthbending.” … Ok, what?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So after that insane idea my sister spat at us, and of course the arguing that ensued with me </span>
  <em>
    <span>telling her</span>
  </em>
  <span> that it was crazy but deciding to go along with it anyways, we headed up to the mines in the hills. “I thought you were crazy at first, Katara, but this might work. There are ventilation shafts throughout these mines. All Aang has to do is send an air current from that vent to this one right here. The boulder levitates and ta da! Fake Earthbending.” Of course, this plan only becomes a genius one due to my genius smart brain, yeah, I’m super smart. She turns to the child of the group and asks “Aang, did you get all that?” He absolutely did not. “Sure, sure. I got it.” No, no he doesn’t, he’s playing with a butterfly. “Do you remember your cue?” He doesn’t bother turning before replying, “Yeah, yeah. Just relax. You’re taking all the fun out of this.” Oh, geez, I’ve never even been to a theatre before, but even I can tell he has no talent for acting. “By ‘this’ do you mean intentionally being captured by an army of ruthless Firebenders?” “Exactly! That’s fun stuff.” Ughhhh… Just take a deep breath, Sokka, deep breaths.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Here they come. Get in your places.” Katara and I rush to the opposite sides of the path next to the boulder and walk to each other as the soldiers come into view. I shoulder check her hard and the scene begins. “Ugh! Out of my way, pipsqueak!” “How dare you call me pipsqueak, you giant-eared cretin?” “What did you call me?!” “A giant-eared cretin. Look at those things. Do herds of animals use them for shade?” Ok, now this is feeling a little targeted, sis. “You better back off! Seriously, back off.” “I will not back off! I bet elephants get together and make fun of how large your ears are.” Ok, that’s enough, close the number! “That’s it! You’re going down.” “I’ll show you who’s boss, Earthbending style!”  … Um… Of course. Still nothing has happened, so she tries to repeat it. “I said, ‘Earthbending style!’” And finally the rock begins to float! Yay! </span>
</p><p>
  <span>One of the guards points to the now levitating rock, “That lemur. He’s Earthbending.” I double take and look, and sure enough Momo has his hands raised and looks at us dumbly. This is way too choreographed to be a coincidence, he has to be doing it on purpose! “No, you idiot! It’s the girl!” He looks back at us, like an idiot and says “Oh. Of course.” Ok, almost there Sokka, just </span>
  <em>
    <span>keepittogetherandbreathejustbreathe</span>
  </em>
  <span>. I grab my little sister and after shouting to the guards, I whisper “You’ve got 12 hours to find Haru. We’ll be right behind you.” They finally tunnel her into the middle of their group and walk off. Aang and Momo come out of hiding and together we watch as Katara looks back at us, one last time before disappearing. Well, time to get busy then.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As the guards take me to the first of multiple holding cells, one of them forces me to shove on a burlap sack cut into a shirt over my clothes, apparently because we’re not allowed to show any nationalism as Fire Nation prisoners. After a few wagon rides and stops along the way, trading of guard posts, etc. etc. we finally make it to a port town. There, I’m wagoned down a long dock and onto a dark and plain, almost stoney ship. Once locked up with a few other female prisoners, I sit down on an uncomfortable bench and wait. The waiting is the hardest part, knowing that I’m going in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by the ocean, alone, it sucks. Of course, it helps for me to know that my brother and Aang are right behind me the whole way, watching my back and ready to spring me out whenever I signal them to, not to mention that I’m actually a Waterbender so being surrounded by water is actually an advantage. But, I stop and think about how this must have felt for Haru, for all of these people who have been caught and imprisoned for simply being caught doing something that’s a part of themselves, for being persecuted for who they are which is something they can’t even control. I think about how they’ve had to hide it from everyone they love, how so many have probably lived their entire lives not being able to share this with anyone, and I can’t help but imagine how much harder this all is since they’re all alone. They don’t have anyone coming to save them, they can’t even rely on each other because they’ve already gotten caught and their spirits broken.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The ship ride feels eternal, but I know it could only have been an hour and a half long trip at most. It goes by quickly yet agonizingly slow, and getting stuck with these thoughts doesn’t help. I really need to get Haru out of here. Docking takes up a good amount of time, at this point it’s the waiting to be loaded off that’s going to make me go crazy. When we’re finally taken above deck, I see how the Fire Nation has managed to keep them all here by force; the entire station is made of metal. We line up and wait quietly as a group of men approach us and one begins to speak. “Earthbenders, it is my pleasure to welcome you aboard my modest shipyard. I am your warden. I prefer to think of you not as prisoners, but as honored guests. And I hope that you come to think of me as your humble and caring host. You will succeed here if you simply abide--” Before the warden can finish his sentence, a man begins to cough, presumably from the horrible stench of smoke that fills the air.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The warden leaps to action and punches a seething wad of fire at the man’s feet as he stumbles back in fear. “What kind of guest dishonors his host by interrupting him? Take him below! One week in solitary will improve his manners. Simply treat me with the courtesy I give you and we’ll get along famously. You will notice, Earthbenders, that this rig is made entirely of metal. You are miles away from any rock or earth. So, if you have any illusions about employing that brutish savagery that passes for bending among you people, forget them. It is impossible. Good day.” During his speech, he takes us to an enclosed area within what I assume is the center of the shipyard, the place furthest away from the open ocean and any chance for escape, if it were even possible without a flying bison in tow. We walk through a gate and are presented with a wide open space filled with people, with Earthbenders, in varying states of age, emotion, and health. As the multiple gates creak closed behind me, I notice that it isn’t in the center like I thought and that there is a large open view of the ocean opposite the entrance to the prison yard. Alright, now is when the real mission starts, I look around and try my best to find Haru, but there are a surprising amount of people here so it’s difficult.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Walking around, I hear a voice behind me call out my name. Turning, Haru stands there looking surprised and astonished at my being here. “Haru!” I shout and run to him, hugging him as soon as I’m close enough to throw myself at him, just to make sure it’s really him. He hugs back quickly and releases me to look me in the eyes. “What are you doing here?” I let go completely and take a step back, unsure of how to answer. I sigh and eventually look up again, “It’s my fault you were captured. I came to rescue you.” Shocked again, Haru replies “So you got yourself arrested?” I admit to him “It was the only way to find you.” He shakes his head and chuckles, out of disbelief or amusement I’m not sure. “You’ve got guts, Katara. I’ll give you that. Come on. There’s someone I want you to meet.” We walk together to an area close to a table of sparse food and I’m presented to an older gentleman with long grey hair, sporting the same burlap sack as everyone else, eating out of a small wooden bowl. “Katara, this is my father, Tyro. Dad, this is Katara.” I place my hands behind my back and bow lightly to him, “It’s an honor to meet you.” Tyro turns and smiles at me kindly, I can’t help but think of my own father’s smile despite his being much less calm like Tyro’s. He offers the seat next to him and replies “Have some dinner, Katara.” He hands me a bowl of what basically looks like mud soup, and I blush at the accidental ‘ew’ I let slip out loud. He chuckles sadly and tries to insist “It’s not as bad as it looks.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I sit and Haru takes my left side as I hesitantly try a spoonful of soup, and yeah, this is definitely some kind of mud soup. “Eew.” “It’s still pretty bad, though.” A man comes up behind Tyro and places his hand on his shoulder, telling him “Tyro, the prisoners are complaining there aren’t enough blankets to go around.” He sighs and I feel Haru tense beside me. Tyro waves the man off, “I’ll talk to the guards. In the meantime, make sure the elderly are taken care of. The rest of us will simply have to hope for warmer weather.” I put down my bowl and address Tyro now that he’s done speaking, “If you don’t mind me asking, what’s your escape plan?” “Excuse me?” “You know, the plan to get everyone off the rig? What is it? Mutiny? Sabotage?” He looks at me seriously after realizing my questioning isn’t a joke, “The plan? The plan is to survive, wait out this war, hope that one day some of us can get back home and forget this ever happened.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I- “How can you say that? You sound like you’ve already given up.” Tyro sighs tiredly and meets my eye once more, “Katara, I admire your courage. And I envy your youth. But people’s lives are at stake here. The warden is a ruthless man, and he won’t stand for any rebellion. I’m sorry, but we’re powerless.” That… Now that sets me off. “We’ll see about that.” I stand up hastily and Haru looks at me worriedly. I don’t care, though, I’m going to prove that they aren’t powerless, that </span>
  <em>
    <span>we</span>
  </em>
  <span> are not powerless, and so I make my way to the center of the crowd, right where the watchmen can see me. I bang together a metal spoon on a rusty pot lid to get their attention, shouting: “Earthbenders! You don’t know me, but I know of you. Every child in my Water Tribe village was rocked to sleep with stories of the brave Earth Kingdom and the courageous Earthbenders who guard its borders. Some of you may think that the Fire Nation has made you powerless. Yes. They have taken away your ability to bend. But they can’t take away your courage. And it is your courage they should truly fear, because it runs deeper than any mine you’ve been forced to dig, any ocean that keeps you far from home. It is the strength of your hearts that make you who you are, hearts that will remain unbroken when all rock and stone has eroded away. The time to fight back is now! I can tell you the Avatar has returned! So remember your courage, Earthbenders! Let us fight for our freedom!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Now </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> was an awesome speech, I should give Aang some notes, public speaking is important for the Avatar after all. Only, it seems like no one even listened, the people closest to me turn away and slowly the rest follow suit. Even Haru lowers his head in shame while Tyro turns away, it’s pitiful, both my useless words and these people’s actions. The sun fades away into a chilling night, but the quiet of the yard doesn’t change. Not once does the sound grow louder or quieter, they’ve learned that being as silent as possible is best. I’ve never hated the quiet more than I have at this moment, it’s more suffocating than anything I’ve ever felt before, and I’ve almost drowned before. I’d always imagined Earthbenders to be loud and rambunctious, yet simultaneously sweet and protective, earnest and gentle. I couldn’t convince Haru to leave, and even then my insistence was half hearted. What point would there be to escape if we couldn’t rescue everyone else too? I tried to sleep, but at this point I’m just keeping my eyes closed and staying still so I don’t wake anyone else who needs the rest. I offered my blanket since I honestly don’t need it, raised in the arctic and all, but Tyro insisted I keep mine. When I feel a small nudge and ‘psst’ at my shoulder, I startle a bit only to realize it was Aang. I guess that means my time is up, time to go…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I feel awful leaving now, especially since I didn’t even accomplish my one goal of rescuing Haru. Aang and I silently creep to the rails over the open water and I’m greeted below by Sokka manning Appa’s reins. “Your 12 hours are up. Where is Haru? We’ve gotta get out of here!” As Aang starts to climb through the bars, I make a decision I’m sure I won’t regret, at least I hope I won’t. “I can’t.” Sokka holds out his hand to me, urging me to hop on. “We don’t have much time. There are guards everywhere. Get on!” Aang, now at Appa’s reins instead of my brother, </span>
  <span>looks up at me in worry and asks “Katara, what’s wrong?” As I step back from the railing, they both come to understand my choice, “I’m not leaving. I’m not giving up on these people.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sometimes, I really wish Katara wasn’t so nice, I wish she screamed more like Sokka does about little things that annoy her. To be honest, I almost hate how nice she is, but hate isn’t really the right word. I just don’t like it, she’s too nice, even to people who don’t deserve it. I’m not saying Haru doesn’t deserve it! I just mean, I just- I don’t, and I wish she could see that. Lots of people don’t, so she shouldn’t give it away to everyone, that’s part of herself that is precious. I just don’t want her to get hurt to prove something she doesn’t have to. Sokka climbs up onto the balcony in a rush after what Katara said and I follow him up. “What do you mean you’re ‘not leaving’?” Katara glares at him and replies “We can’t abandon these people. There has to be a way to help them.” I sigh internally and hate myself more for not being able to be more selfish, “Maybe she’s right. What do you say, Sokka?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sokka is a good guy, he won’t deny helping someone even if he complains about it. I, on the other hand, seriously need to stop letting people think they can rely on me, I’m just a kid! I’ll fail them eventually, and the further down the road that is the worse the fall is gonna be, I don’t really care about getting hurt but I care about hurting others. Getting off topic, what’s everyone saying again? “I say you’re both crazy. Last chance. We need to leave now.” “No.” “I hate when you get like this. Come on, we better hide.” See? Great guy, great friend, and also a pretty great big brother! The two of them run back inside the prison walls while I whisper Appa to go hide. Momo hops up on my shoulder and I race back to meet with the Water Tribe siblings, just as two guards round the corner and barely spot Appa flying away. I hear them shout behind me, “Look!” Oh no, hopefully they just write that off as their imagination or shadows or something… I really hope that’s what happens… </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After hiding in the middle of some random crates, we start talking about what we’re gonna do. The sun will rise soon if the glowing horizon has anything to say about it, so it won’t be long till we’re out of cover. Sokka voices my exact concerns as he whispers to Katara, “We don’t have much time. What are we gonna do?” “I wish I knew how to make a hurricane.” I mutter out loud, I mean right now I really do, it wouldn’t work either way since I can’t technically Waterbend, but still. They look at me with disbelief on their faces, and I regret being able to speak. “The Warden would run away, and we would steal his keys.” That totally saves the conversation, Aang, what a great idea. “Wouldn’t he just take his keys with him?” Oh, of course he would. “I’m just tossing ideas around.” Momo looks over the boxes while Katara lowers her head to look at her hands. “I tried talking the Earthbenders into fighting back, but it didn’t work. If there was just a way to help them help themselves.” Sokka hums, “For that they need some kind of earth or some rock, something they can bend.” “But this entire place is made of metal.” Wait a minute, smoke, </span>
  <span>smoke comes from fire and there’s no way these guys are paying a bunch of Firebenders to run the rig, they’d get tired too quickly and there’d be way more Firebenders here if they did. “No, it’s not.” I realize. “Look at the smoke. I bet they’re burning coal. In other words… earth.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s almost dawn. We’re running out of time. You sure this is gonna work?” “It should. These vents reminded me of our little trick back at the village. We’re gonna do the same thing, but on a much bigger scale. There’s a huge deposit of coal at the base of this island, and the whole system is ventilated. Aang closed off all the vents except one. When he does his Airbending, the coal only has one place to go-- right back here.” The plan makes perfect sense, but it heavily relies on the Earthbenders taking the hint and bending themselves out of here. Hopefully, another one of my sister’s dumb speeches does the trick and gets them going, and if not I made sure Appa was on standby to get us out quick. I try to be a nice guy, but family comes first. If this plan doesn’t work, then we’re out of here and we aren’t bringing anyone with us. Our primary mission is to get Aang to the North Pole, and that’s it, then we go home after Katara does some Waterbending training with our sister tribe and she’s satisfied.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There’s the intruder!” Oh crap, I seriously wish I had more weapons on me, that is the only thing I’m jealous of benders for; always having a weapon close by. I pull out my precious boomerang and threaten the guards surrounding us wildly. “Stay back! I’m warning you!” Some old guy starts yelling at my sister, “Katara, stop. You can’t win this fight.” The Earthbenders are up, but my vision of them fighting by our side has become very dim, they look dead inside. “Listen to him well, child. You’re one mistake away from dying where you stand.” As the guards draw closer, we hear a rumbling from the pipes and that’s our cue to step away or get crushed. A fountain of coal shoots up nearly as tall as the walls that surround us, and at the end of it is an extremely soot covered little boy with a stick. Bet that confused the fuck outta them, haha. Aang coughs up the smoke from it while Katara and I climb up the slope to get to him. She gets there first and from the top of the hill calls out to the courtyard “Here’s your chance, Earthbenders! Take it! Your fate is in your own hands!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She holds a piece of coal above her head like it’s a trophy of the highest honor, but even so the benders step back. The Warden laughs, “Foolish girl. You thought a few inspirational words and some coal would change these people? Look at these blank hopeless faces. Their spirits were broken a long time ago. Oh, but you still believed in them. How sweet. They’re a waste of your energy, little girl. You failed.” As the Warden turns to leave, a hefty piece of coal crashes into the back of his head. Turning to the offender, I see Haru turning three more stones in his hand, and boy does he look pissed. I almost burst out laughing at the scowl that makes its way onto the old Firebender’s face, it makes him look like a scowling rat-monkey. I decide not to, because Rat Monkey man double fist fire jets Haru, only to be blocked by a wall of coal made by Haru’s dad.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Haru’s old man has got some moves! He gives off a serious ‘I am a master of my element, tremble before me.’ vibe. “Show no mercy!” Warden  cries from a line of soldiers, and at that they advance on us. The Earthbenders have begun to show some courage as a line of their own forms and blocks the oncoming firestorm with an even bigger shell of coal. They groan with the effort, clearly out of practice, but with a mighty roar, Haru’s dad cries out “For the Earth Kingdom! Attack!” The shell flips out towards the soldiers and coal projectiles force them back. Every capable Earthbender forwards the attack and the Fire Nation soldiers are easily outnumbered, it's an amazing sight to behold. We too join the fight, using my boomerang to break the bladed staffs that come too close. I toss up the bladed ends so that Momo can collect and distribute them among our allies. Haru and Tyro (I finally got his name) compress a ton of coal together to form a cannonball and launch it at the wall, creating an opening to escape. “Get to the ship! We’ll hold them off!” Tyro points, and the elderly and young follow.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do not let them escape!” Rat Monkey screams as the soldiers by his side blow powerful flames at  the escapees. Of course, with Aang there to stop them the escapees end up out and scorch free. He forms a wind tunnel and directs to us “Guys, throw me some coal!” I grab an armful and shove it on in there, the stones pelleting the men to the ground. The ground rumbles around them as they are pulled back into a forming cluster of coal. The benders form a platform and drop Rat Monkey and his goons over the water with a satisfying yelp to compliment it. “No, please! I can’t swim!” Tyro gives one of the best rebuttals I have ever heard that I am definitely </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> stealing; “Don’t worry. I hear cowards float.” This is the best prison break ever, I don’t think anything can top this!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once the Warden had been taken care of, the rest of the soldiers fell back easily. Turns out even they know to stay out of an angry Earthbender’s way, let alone a mob of them. We managed to commandeer a few of their ships and it was smooth sailing after that. Looking back at the rig, I’m stunned to realize that it had only been a day that I’d been in there. It felt so much longer than that, but even so I’m glad it didn’t last longer. Haru steps up behind me, “I want to thank you for saving me, for saving us.” Tyro stands at his son’s side, reunited at last, it looks as if they’d never even been apart. I rub the back of my neck and shyly reply “All it took was a little coal.” “It wasn’t the coal, Katara. It was you.” Tyro puts his hand on my shoulder and gives me that fatherly look of pride, one that I’d been missing for years. “Thank you for helping me find my courage, Katara of the Water Tribe. My family and everyone here owes you much.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I hum and smile at his words, “So, I guess you’re going home now.” “Yes, to take back my village. To take back all of our villages! The Fire Nation will regret the day they set foot on our land!” The crowd cheers and all raise their fists in defiance and solidarity. “Come with us.” A phrase I didn’t think I’d hear but my response is immediate, I say it before I think it, “I can’t. </span>
  <span>Your mission is to take back your home. Ours is getting Aang to the North Pole.” Together we look at him in Appa’s saddle, play with Momo as Appa wades through the water carelessly. “That’s him, isn’t it? The Avatar. Katara, thank you for bringing my father back to me. I never thought I’d see him again. I only wish there was some way--” I cut Haru off, already knowing where his line of thought is going, “I know. My mother’s necklace! It’s gone!” I can’t believe it took me this long to notice! There’s no time to turn back, the Fire Nation will have called for reinforcements by now. I can only hope it will find its way back to me, my heart stings at the thought of never seeing it again, but Aang is more important. The Avatar needs to master the four elements, if my mother’s necklace is the cost of winning this war then I’ll pay that price. I just wish I didn’t have to.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The monk boy stayed true to his word, the direction he’s taken has been much more predictable as of late. He’s been leading me along thoroughly, and it isn’t exactly a stretch to say that this prison break was a publicity stunt to attract my attention. Leaning down, the necklace I now hold in my hand is familiar, most likely the Water Tribe girl’s. On the back of the pendant stone is a small and simple message. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Wait. Follow. Won’t be long. Promise.- A.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope you all enjoyed this chapter, again I'm very sorry for the extremely late update. My schedule will be going back to normal so I hope to see you all next Friday!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 6: Winter Solstice- The Spirit World</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry that this is a bit late, but I hope you enjoy! Finally some more info on Aang's past, and also a look into Iroh's! Perhaps he's not the peaceful tea-loving Uncle we all know him to be?</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Appa grumbles happily as he lazily drifts through the sky, the rest of us enjoying the green valley view from his comfortable saddle. It’s a cloudy day, but still bright and warm despite the cooler temperature of the upper atmosphere. “Those clouds look so soft, don’t they? Like you could just jump down and you’d land in a big, soft, cottony heap.” Katara leans over the side and watches as they drift by, dreamily kicking her feet as she holds her head in her hands. Sokka is sharpening a dagger and chuckles to himself before teasing “Maybe you should give it a try.” She turns and pouts, “You’re hilarious.” I, already knowing the answer to this, decide to humor her question and shout “I’ll try it!” and laugh loudly as I leap off into the nearest white puff. I feel the wind carry me as I glide through towards the ground, it catching on my clothes to remind me that it’s there and it’s real. As I pass through, hidden from my friends, I feel a strange ringing in my head or maybe my heart? It’s a strange and insistent feeling, pulling me towards the valley ahead.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I ignore it and return to the saddle, sopping wet and with a now half-faked smile on my face, trying to pay attention to my surroundings. “Turns out, clouds are made of water.” I inhale and exhale powerfully, using Airbending to dry myself off by flinging the water away from myself. Some drops whip Momo, startling him from his thoughts, whatever those may be. They both look disappointed, that is until Katara leans over and squints at something in the distance. “Hey, what </span>
  <em>
    <span>is</span>
  </em>
  <span> that?” She stands up and moves to the front of the saddle as we turn in the direction I’d felt that pull from. Looking up, there’s a large black mass of land along the river that cuts starkly between the lush green. It looks like a burn mark on the side of the mountain faces and reminds me harshly of a specific burn mark I’ve encountered before. Sokka again reads my thoughts saying “It’s like a scar.” We all agree silently with one another to fly down and take a closer look. The lower we go and the closer we get to the ground, the more that aching in my chest grows, a silent voice calling out to me, whispering in pain. I can feel my spirit desperate to reach back and comfort it, but I’m afraid of that feeling, it feels like if I give in my soul will leave and never return.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once we land, it’s clear what has happened here; a devastating fire has purged this part of the land of any and all life, the only life left being whatever fleeting creatures passing through the river. Sokka walks out further, troubled thoughts evident from his expression. “Listen. It’s so quiet. There’s no life anywhere.” “Aang, are you ok?” I don’t have time to answer before Sokka bursts out “Fire Nation! Those evil savages make me sick! They have no respect for--” Katara shushes him and I’m silently thankful. The feeling I got from up in the sky is nothing compared to the disquieted noise buzzing around me. Before, the sensation of urgent pulling felt strong enough to pull me apart, but now that it has me here I feel… nothing? Empty? It feels missing, </span>
  <em>
    <span>something is missing</span>
  </em>
  <span>, but it’s not </span>
  <em>
    <span>my</span>
  </em>
  <span> missing if that makes sense. It isn’t something a part of me yet I can feel its absence and it’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>confusing</span>
  </em>
  <span> and it </span>
  <em>
    <span>hurts</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I don’t hear anything the siblings are whispering about until I drop down to my knees and feel the ash underneath my fingertips. “Why would anyone do this? How could I let this happen?” I sigh, dejected. I hear Katara’s footsteps as she comes to stand by my right. “Aang, you didn’t let this happen. It has nothing to do with you.” “Yes, it does. It’s the S- It’s the Avatar’s- </span>
  <em>
    <span>My</span>
  </em>
  <span> job to protect nature, but I don’t know how to do my job.” I know I’m pouting, I know I’m being unreasonable, but it’s so hard! It’s so hard to lie and still be a good friend if I’m even allowed to call myself one after all of the lying I did! “That’s why we’re going to the North Pole-- to find you a teacher.” She doesn’t get it and it’s not her fault it’s mine but I wish she could just </span>
  <em>
    <span>get it</span>
  </em>
  <span>. “Yeah. A </span>
  <em>
    <span>Waterbending</span>
  </em>
  <span> teacher. But there’s no one who can teach me how to be the Avatar.” Because that’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>my job, I’m supposed to be the teacher here, why can’t I do this right</span>
  </em>
  <span>? “Monk Gyatso said that Avatar Roku would help me.” Sokka chimes in “The Avatar before you? He died over a hundred years ago. How are you supposed to talk to him?” He actually died before I was even born so I still wouldn’t have been able to talk to him, but I don’t point that out. “I don’t know.” Momo climbs into my lap purring, probably his way of comforting me. I pet him and relax my body, all I can do is think about finding the real one and hope I can help them when the time comes. I think about what I’m going to do about finding teachers and my mind drifts to the Prince and the talk I promised to have with him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Right, that</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uncle, it’s time to leave. Where are you? Uncle Iroh!” Damnit, he’s really testing my patience, and just when I thought I’d started getting better at controlling my temper. The necklace was a sign, I know it was. He said we’ll be able to talk soon, but it’s been over a week now, nearly a month since I started my chase. I’m eager to speak with him, to understand where he came from, what this feeling is, why this is all happening now, and why me? Why would he entrust this all to me? A banished and scorned prince of the nation that annihilated his own people? What about me is so special that he’d lead me on like this, knowing that I plan on capturing him? “Over here.” Uncle calls out, shaking me from my internal monologue of questions. I find him soaking in a boiling natural spring, it seems like quite a relaxing space if it weren’t for the ‘urgently following the Avatar’ thing. “Uncle? We need to move on. We’re closing in on the Avatar’s trail, and I don’t want to lose him.” The steam is rising to my head making me dizzy, “You look tired, Prince Zuko. Why don’t you join me in these hot springs and soak away your troubles?” Again, tempting but no. “My troubles cannot be soaked away. It’s time to go.” I stand firm and make it clear that I will definitely leave without him if he doesn’t hurry. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <span>“You should take your teacher’s advice and relax a little. The temperature’s just right. I heated it myself.” So it wasn’t a natural spring then, of course not. I do love Uncle, but his relaxed nature about </span>
  <b>everything</b>
  <span> gets really annoying. “Enough. We need to leave </span>
  <b>now</b>
  <span>. Get out of the water!” Ah, I see I’ve made a mistake. “Very well.” Shielding my eyes quickly I add in “On second </span>
  <span>thought! Why don’t you take another few minutes? But be back at the ship in half an hour, or I’m leaving without you.” I walk away not bothering to turn back out of fear and hear him settle back into the boiling water. I can’t believe he can get away like that, how am I ever going to best my opponents in battle if I’m afraid of a little indecency? That being said, he’s my Uncle, it’s way more gross since we’re related.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Katara gets closer, interrupting me from my continued sulking. “Hey, Aang. Are you ready to be cheered up?” “No.” I didn’t really mean to say that, but also I kinda said it. I feel something hit my head and </span>
  <em>
    <span>Ow????</span>
  </em>
  <span> Looking at the offending object, I see it’s an acorn. “Hey, how is that cheering me up?” Sokka laughs obnoxiously, “Cheered me up. Ow!” He is also assaulted by an acorn, now we are equals. “Yeah. I probably deserved that.” She nods her head, affirming that she has properly sought revenge, and finally comes and crouches next to me. “These acorns are everywhere, Aang. That means the forest will grow back. Every one of these will be a tall oak tree someday, and all the birds and animals that lived here will come back.” She gently places one of the acorns in my hand and I take to it gently. She’s right, I have no reason to sulk anymore, but even so it still hurts somewhere that’s not quite my own heart. Even so I shouldn’t worry either of them anymore. “Thanks, Katara. I </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> feel better.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Katara’s eyes widen and I turn around to see an old man approach us. Sokka begins to stand, “Hey, who are you?” The old man completely ignores him and speaks directly to me: “When I saw the Flying Bison, I thought it was impossible, but those markings…” Oh yeah, forgot about these, the supposed ‘Avatar markings’, it’s kinda culturally insensitive that people don’t realize every Air Monk can have these, but I’ll save that for later. “Are you the Avatar, child?” Uh, no. I nod yes anyways, why do I keep doing this??? Right, to protect the Avatar, help them find me, et cetera et cetera. “My village desperately needs your help.” I really hope this is something I can handle. We get up and he leads us back to his village, not explaining anything along the way. As the sun begins to set, I feel a chill tingling along my spine, like there’s a spirit watching me. As we round a bend of trees, the entrance to the village comes into view surrounded by large walls. Already at the mouth there are houses destroyed and I worry what could have caused such destruction. Appa has to stick to the entrance because of his size, so the rest of us continue to the large estate house in the rear of the town, walking silently with no other villagers in sight.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Walking into the large building, we’re introduced to what seems to be the village, the whole village in this one building. Huh. “This young person is the Avatar.” Aw, he said ‘person’! But also cringing at the word Avatar again. Another man walks up and speaks to us, well, me at this point. “So the rumors of your return are true. It is the greatest honor of a lifetime to be in your presence.” I bow back politely, hiding my inner sobs with a “Nice to meet you, too.” and retreat to the comfort of my lies. Discomfort. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, is there something that I can help you with?” “I’m not sure…” Oh gee, how helpful. The old man comes forward again, insistent “Our village is in crisis. He’s our only hope. For the last few days at sunset, a spirit monster comes and attacks our village. He is Hei Bai, the Black and White Spirit.” Spirits! Yes! I can do spirits! I even got its name! Sokka questions them “Why is it attacking you?” The younger man, who I assume is the village chief, replies “We do not know. But each of the last 3 nights, he has abducted one of our own. We are especially fearful because the winter solstice draws near.” Now it’s Katara’s turn to ask a question, “What happens then.” I take over on answering this one. “Astrological events can greatly influence both element bending capabilities and the spirit activity. It’s likely that when the solstice approaches, the lines between the Spirit World and ours will become blurred, making Hei Bai stronger in ours.” The Chief and old man nod in agreement. “Precisely, Hei Bai is already causing devastation and destruction. Once the solstice is here, there is no telling what will happen.” Hmm, it seems like this Hei Bai has been acting up quite a bit lately because of the solstice, but there must be more to it than that. If this spirit hasn’t been causing problems before then why has it started to act up now? What made it so upset at these villagers to start destroying the village and kidnapping its inhabitants? Hopefully I’ll be able to talk it down and find out. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“So what do you want me to do exactly?” I need to know what their intentions are for the spirit in order to get their message across properly. If they want the spirit to leave completely that might be an issue, but if they want me to just get it calm again then I can probably manage that. “Who better to resolve a crisis between our world and the Spirit World than the Avatar himself? You are the great bridge between man and spirits.” Uhhhhh “Riiiight. That’s me, hehe.” This is my punishment, I am so sorry for abandoning my duties 100 years ago, forgive me. “Hey, Great Bridge Guy?” Katara taps on my shoulder, “Can I talk to you over here for a second?” The three of us walk away from where they can hear us. “Aang, you seem a little unsure about all this.” That’s because I get uncomfortable whenever people call me the Avatar, but I can’t tell her </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span>. “Yeah, that might be because I don’t know at all what they’re trying to ask me. Don’t get me wrong, I know plenty about spirits, but it’s not like I can control them or anything. Even as an Airbender, I don’t control air, I just kinda follow the path it makes for me, go with the flow you know? Spirits can be difficult to deal with when they’re upset, I just don’t want to let anyone down or make things worse.” “So, can you help these people?” I turn from her gaze, it’s hard to lie but even harder to tell the truth, I can speak to and see spirits but I can’t control them and I don’t know how to make them listen to me. There’s a very big chance that I’ll fail, but “I have to try, don’t I? Maybe Hei Bai will be more cooperative than I think, they might just be frustrated that no one can understand them.” She smiles and turns her head, “I think you can do it, Aang.” Sokka looks confident as he says “Yeah. We’re all gonna get eaten by a spirit monster.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sun has reached the skyline which marks the time for me to start my work. I exit the building and the doors close behind me with a near silent creak, the shuffling of villagers behind me closing and boarding windows the only sound other than the ruffling of leaves. I walk down the small flight of stairs and hold my staff in my hands, twiddling with it nervously, I really wish I knew more about this spirit. It’d be helpful if I knew what it presented itself as, like if it was an animal spirit or something else, it’d also help if I knew it talked or what it wanted or why it was here or how long it’s been here- There’s just so much I should know but I have no choice, I’m going in blind. “… Hello? Spirit? Can you hear me? This is the- uh- the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Avatar</span>
  </em>
  <span> speaking. I’m here to try to help… stuff?” I’m near the entrance now and the spirit, Hei Bai, has yet to show itself. I’m getting kind of nervous, but also hoping that maybe it isn’t a spirit at all and that the villagers are being messed with by some uncommon wild animal.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>For now, at least, I continue to call out to it to try and make it manifest. The sun has completely set behind the mountains by the time I give up with seeing it. I call out one last time “The sun is set. Where are you, Hei Bai?” Gesturing with my hands and arms extended, coaxing whatever spirits I can to hear me, I sigh in defeat. I guess the spirit either doesn’t exist or decided it was done with whatever revenge it has had, or it could be avoiding </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span> for annoying it so much. Yeah, that last one is very plausible. In my mind’s eye, I call to my element and feel the spirit of wind fill me, and with my staff I scratch out the symbol of peace and balance, imbuing it with the wind and my spirit’s energy. “Well-- Spirit Hei Bai, I as Aang of the Southern Air Temple, hereby petition you to extend peace upon this village and forgive its occupants of whatever unknowing ill they have caused. I ask that you honor this ancient symbol I have placed upon the earth, a symbol containing the life-blood of the wind and my spirit. Leave this place with forgiveness, and enter it only again in peace. Honor this decree, Spirit Hei Bai, the Black and White Spirit.” I turn my staff and plant it in the center of the symbol, sealing it at the gates with a faint glow that only those capable of seeing the Spirit element would notice. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I listen once again, hearing only the faint whisper of nature and the seal, before turning around and heading back to the building. Out of nowhere, the ringing bells from earlier that day come back at full force, the seal I’d just created humming an angry warning. I turn quickly with my staff aggressively pointing at the gates, hearing a pained and ugly roar before seeing the spirit appear. When it does, I’m not even sure what to call it; so definitely not an animal spirit, or the spirit’s true form has gotten lost and distorted from anger. The large black and white body of the creature extends unnaturally from a protruding spine and angular face, the creature having no eyes and large sharp teeth. Where the eyes would be are angry markings of black instead, the creature's arms vaguely human with the hind legs shorter and bent at awkward angles. When it manages to push through my admittedly poorly made seal, it sits for a moment in haughty silence, it’s posture like a violent and vain frog. I notice it’s second pair of arms hanging limply </span>
  <span>from its inner shoulders, and its voice more like a growl, it is definitely mad about something. So, I probably won’t be holding a conversation with it any time soon, which kind of sucks.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>I back away slowly, trying to gain as much distance as I can without upsetting it further. Once I’m about ten feet from it, it gets up slowly and starts to follow at around the same pace I step away. So it </span>
  <em>
    <span>does</span>
  </em>
  <span> want to communicate, but can it? “You must be Hei Bai, the Black and White Spirit. I tried calling to you before, but you didn’t answer. My name is--” It opens its maw and light floods my vision while screeching assaults my ears. It stands on its hind legs and raises its arms, very rudely cutting me off in its outburst. The spirit goes on to ignore and stomp over me, leaving me behind. Ok, it doesn’t want to kill me which is a fantastic point for me, but now it’s headed for the villagers and doesn’t seem to care about me at all. Great. “My name is Aang, I’m the A-Avatar, and I would like to help. Hey, wait up!” I chase after it just as it destroys whatever was left of one of the already broken houses, and just as I’m close enough to touch it, it fades away and appears at another house to continue its rampage. I continue trying to chase it and talk to it, but Hei Bai has a </span>
  <em>
    <span>serious</span>
  </em>
  <span> temper, it could rival Zuko’s honestly, although the last time I met the Fire Nation Prince he was a lot more approachable. “Please, would you stop destroying things and listen? I just want to know how to help you, and I can’t do that if you won’t tell me anything! I’m just trying to do my job as the Spirit-- bridge! The Spirit Bridge! Excuse me! Would you </span>
  <em>
    <span>please</span>
  </em>
  <span> turn around?” Ughh, ok fine, time to get serious. I pull out my staff from behind me and slam it into the roof that I’m standing on, at the point of impact surging the treated wood with my energy, or rather the Avatar’s energy.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Spirits absolutely hate being told what to do, but this one is already dangerous and unruly so what’s pissing it off even more gonna do? I doubt it’ll kill me because it only kidnapped those other villagers, so here goes nothing. “</span>
  <b>I command you to turn around now!</b>
  <span>” It turns around alright, it turns around and swats me like a fly, oof. I hear doors creaking and running feet, a shout of “It’s not safe!” and suddenly Sokka is being an idiot. “Hei Bai! Over here!” He throws his boomerang at Hei Bai’s butt and it clinks off uselessly. Mortal weapons are useless against spirits, but he doesn’t know that, oh no. “Sokka! Go back!” He runs and stands in front of me, looking way too calm and confident for this situation that he completely doesn’t understand. “We’ll fight him together, Aang.” “Sokka, you don’t get it, </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> can’t fight him! And I don’t even </span>
  <em>
    <span>want</span>
  </em>
  <span> to unless I--” Suddenly an arm shoots out and snatches Sokka before either of us can even yelp. I open my glider and chase after them into the woods, hearing Katara faintly cry out to us. I really hope Hei Bai isn’t taking Sokka to where I think they’re going, I really hope that isn’t where the other villagers are, please don’t be </span>
  <em>
    <span>there</span>
  </em>
  <span>. “Aang! Over here!” I fly above the treetops following as closely behind as I can, and when the trees clear away to the forrestless land that caught our attention in the first place, my stomach drops. “Help!” “Hang on Sokka!” I draw in close, reaching out to grab his extended hand, but when I finally do, they vanish in a haze of blue. I fall uselessly to the ground and everything turns black.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>I’m awoken by the sound of rustling in the bushes, realizing that I’d fallen asleep in the spring. “Who’s there?” The rustling stops and a little creature hops up onto the ledge of stone, squeaking pleasantly to me. “A meadow vole. I should have known.” Chuckling to myself, I coax it into the palm of my hand and it happily hops up. “You startled me, little one. Seems I dozed off and missed my nephew’s deadline, but it was a very sweet nap.” Setting the vole back onto the stone, I reach my arms back around my head and watch it scurry about. It begins squeaking again, hopping up and down hurriedly, before a rumbling sounds in front of us and it scampers away. Before I can jump away to safety, three slabs of rock form around me, trapping me inside one of nature’s most alluring traits. Three Earthbenders appear and speak to each other in front of me. One takes my clothes, stating “He’s a Fire Nation soldier.” Another comes up to stand in front of the others, staring me down as he replies “He’s no ordinary soldier. This is the Fire Lord’s brother. The Dragon of The West--” I’ve never liked that nickname, and am I really only known as Ozai’s brother? A bit disappointing, but I could be known for worse. “The once great General Iroh.” Once great?! I’m a little hurt here! “But now, he’s our prisoner.” Sure I am, I’ll let these little ones think they’ve gotten lucky for now, after all my precious nephew is waiting for me!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It’s nightfall and he still hasn’t returned, that foolish old man! Is he trying to give a teenager an early heart attack? “Uncle!” I shove through the branches with my men back to that stupid spa he was last, hoping he just fell asleep or something like the old man he is. “Uncle, where are you?” One of them comes to me, “Sir, maybe he thought you left without him.” I know I said I would, but I never mean what I say! I’m an idiot, or course I don’t think when I speak! “Something’s not right here. That pile of rocks.” Looking closer at the bath, there’s no way anyone could sit in it now, the center comes up to a sharp point of stone. “It looks like there’s been a landslide, Sir.” Not possible, “Land doesn’t slide uphill. Those rocks didn’t move naturally. My Uncle’s been captured by Earthbenders.” Damnit! Why do these things keep hindering us! I call out to my soldiers and order them to gear up, saddle some Ostrich Horses, and to get me our best trackers. I’m sure he’ll signal me to his location soon enough, those idiot rock men have clearly underestimated the strength of the Dragon of The West.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p>
  <span><br/>Now, I’m not complaining, it would be rude of me to as their prisoner, after all they could have forced me to walk or be dragged behind instead, but my back is killing me. What? I can admit begrudgingly that I <em>am</em> old. I am also naked, tied up, and cold, and that isn’t a pleasant experience for anyone really. “Where are you taking me?” “We’re taking you to face justice.” “Riiight. But where, specifically?” “A place you’re quite familiar with, actually. You once laid siege to it for 600 days, but it would not yield to you.” Ah, I see. “Ah, the great city of Ba Sing </span>
  <span>Se.” Well, this will not be pleasant, I’d always wanted to view it’s impressive build from the inside, but it’s exterior only holds dark memories now. I should be going soon before I end up there. “It was greater than you were, apparently.” “I acknowledge my defeat at Ba Sing Se. After 600 days away from home, my men were tired, and I was tired. And I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>still</span>
  </em>
  <span> tired.” I yawn, close my eyes, and let myself fall off of the steed. They pick me up readily and place me back, not noticing the little tip I left to my nephew. Zuko is a much smarter boy than he credits himself to be, he may not be wise but he is certainly intelligent. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Walking back without Sokka is the most shameful experience I’ve felt in a while. I feel light and weightless, the experience of walking almost dreamlike and unreal. When I approach the gate, I see her curled on the ground waiting for our return, </span>
  <em>
    <span>our</span>
  </em>
  <span> return. “Katara? Katara, I lost him.” The old man from before is next to her, consoling her as much as he can. “The sun is rising. Perhaps he will return soon.” Huh? “What? No. I’m right here.” Neither turn towards me, and I start to realize what’s happening, praying that I’m wrong. I hold my hand up to the light and my stomach sinks, it’s see through. “I’m in the Spirit World.” I mutter to myself. No, that’s not entirely right, the Spirit World is its own separate entity, this is the Spirit Plane, the area of the Natural World where spirits can exist. This world is sort of hidden and unseen by ours because it exists on the foundation of our own, only it’s a copy made up of the Spirit element, an element most akin to Air. It cannot be seen, touched, heard, or sensed by those without the knowledge, practice, but most of all the gift of being able to sense the element itself. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Perfect, the worst thing that could happen has happened, way to go Aang. I walk over and sit next to Katara, who is now leaning against the gate post resting, and talk to her despite knowing she can’t hear me. “I”ll figure this out, Katara. I promise. Like they said, I’m the bridge between the worlds, right? All I have to do is figure out what I have to do, but once I do that, no problem!” At that, I get up and see Appa approaching us. He grunts in concern, but I can’t tell if he can see me or not. He’s definitely my best buddy, but there’s no way of telling if he’s the Animal Guide for the Avatar, since, you know… Anyways, I try talking to him anyways, animals in general are able to sense spirits better than humans, so it’s worth a shot. “Appa. Hey, buddy. I’m right here.” He only sniffs at Katara and settles in next to her, meaning he </span>
  <em>
    <span>can’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> see me and </span>
  <em>
    <span>isn’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> the animal guide, that sucks. He grunts again, waking Katara, so she turns to his big and worried face reassuringly, “It’s ok, Appa, don’t worry. I’m sure they’re on their way back. I bet they even found you a bunch of moon peaches, for a treat.” They both get up and Katara leads him back into the village, hopeful of our return. Great, “What am I supposed to do?” I mumble to myself, and then a very desperate and dumb idea pops into my head.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>I take a deep breath and hope that this works, because even though I’ve screwed up this much I want to save myself any more embarrassment with any eavesdropping spirits that are around. </span>
  <span>“Avatar Roku, can I talk to you? Are you listening? I need some advice!” Calling out into the woods feels as dumb as it probably looks, and I of course get no reply. This is the Spirit </span>
  <em>
    <span>Plane</span>
  </em>
  <span> not the Spirit </span>
  <em>
    <span>World</span>
  </em>
  <span>. I doubt </span>
  <em>
    <span>any </span>
  </em>
  <span>Avatar would just hang out here to watch humans, even I wouldn’t do that if I died, humans are stressful! I would know, I haven’t stopped being stressed out since I was eleven! I hear a faint whoosh from the trees and turn hopefully, calling out Sokka’s name. It’s possible that his spirit managed to wander over here, the other villagers could have too but just have no way of returning to the physical world. I am disappointed but curious when I kind myself looking at a gleaming light in the distance instead. I step closer, squinting as I try to make it out, and as it approaches I recognize it as a dragon. “That’s definitely not Sokka.” Pretty much everything is screaming at me to run or fly away, but 1. I already know my bending won’t work here, and 2. My mind says it recognizes that dragon and would rather take the chance of being eaten, apparently. The creature approaches swiftly and lands silently in front of me, so not being eaten, yay! “You don’t know where Sokka is, do you?” It lowers its head so that our eyes are level and ever so gently pokes my forehead. Images flood my mind of memories, the dragon’s perhaps, but definitely memories of the living world. I see the dragon clearly, it’s red scales shimmering, and as the memory continues, flying atop its back is Avatar Roku, his face unmistakeable.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re Avatar Roku’s Animal Guide, if I remember right your name is Fang. I need to save my friend and I don’t know how. Is there some way for me to talk to Roku?” I’d ask Ta Min, but in the afterlife she would have joined Roku’s soul and their knowledge would combine, so it isn’t likely that she’s still around on her own. Fang wraps his head around, exposing his long neck to me and beckoning me on. I jump up and turn to where I can see Katara and Appa in the village, “I’ll be back, Katara.” Fang raises his head and stretches his wings, lifting off smoothly and fast, away from the village. We move so quickly that it’s difficult for me to tell where we’re going and where we’ve been, at some point we’re racing across what has to be an ocean. It’s only a few minutes until we’re slowing down in front of a very volcanically active island and to a tower located there. With how it’s structured and the location, it only makes sense that this place is somewhere on the outskirt islands of the Fire Nation. We enter from the bottom floor and rise to the top, phasing through a floor in the process. To say that was jarring would be an understatement, thankfully no one can hear me scream as I’m basically a ghost right now. Fang lands there, and as I get off I find myself in a sealed room, one with a large gold statue of Roku at the other side of the entrance. As I approach it, I speak to Fang, confused. “I don’t understand. This is just a statue of Roku.” Looking at his face, he seemed like a very stern and intimidating man, nothing like what was written about his early life. He had been a fun-loving and adventurous young Avatar, but I suppose that’s what the start of a war does to you. It makes you colder, harsher, stronger but not in the way that you want to be. Turning to face his dragon again, Fang once more reaches a tendril to my temple and more images, longer this time, flood through my mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Immediately, I can tell these visions are different. A flaming ball of destruction speeds towards me, emanating a sense of urgency and fear. That vision was from the future, it must be. “Is that what Roku wants to talk to me about? A comet? When can I talk to him?” Fang leans his head to the side, letting a single beam of light shine through and hit a point a few inches away from the statue’s face. He touches my head again and I’m given a vision of the room we are in, more specifically, the light beam and the statue. Days pass as the light fades in and out, inching closer and closer to Roku’s head as they do. The vision ends and I’m back in my own time, understanding beginning to dawn upon me at what I need to do. “It’s a calendar, and the light will reach Roku on the solstice. So that’s when I’ll be able to speak to Roku?” Fang growls in confirmation, “But I can’t wait that long. I need to save Sokka now!” At that, Fang closes his eyes, maybe in frustration? Disappointment? Either way, once he opens them again, he calls me to his back again and we head back to the village. As we fly through the scorched land just before the village, Fang flies lower and doesn’t slow as we approach a statue that I’ve only just realized is there. I quickly recognize my body sitting on top of it’s head, resting peacefully in meditation, until Fang stops abruptly and my spirit crashes into itself. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>I wake up in the physical world where I saw my body with a start, and dizzily hop off of the statue. When I turn to face it, suddenly I’m staring at Hei Bai. Not </span>
  <em>
    <span>Hei Bai</span>
  </em>
  <span> Hei Bai, but like, actual Hei Bai. So I was right, it’s spirit had become distorted, and I know why. The peaceful bear is cracked and scorched, broken like the land around it, like its home it has become harsh and angry. This is why it’s so upset, it thinks the villagers did this, or maybe it just has no one else to take its anger out on. I release the fans from my staff and glide to the village, I know what I have to do.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p>
  <span><br/>Following what little tracks there were wasn’t easy, but after finding his slipper, the tracks got deeper and fresher, meaning we were getting closer to Uncle and his captors. It’s clear they are headed along the mountains, where they have easy access to debilitating bending moves, so we’ll have to be careful as we move forward. I can’t help but blame myself for my impatience, the monk boy said to wait and to follow, yet every day I lose hope that he’s just leading me on and has no intention of speaking to me. Sometimes at night, I think ‘What if I just go to where he is now? He keeps running away so what if he’s just waiting for <b>me</b> to approach?’, but just as I have a bag packed and I’m ready to go, I stop. I remember the way his allies looked at me, how my own men still look at me at times, and I go back to bed. My people are the ones that turned the thriving Southern Water Kingdom into the poor and degrading tribe tundra it is now. We took their benders, their families, their homes and their history from them. Aang’s caution makes sense, if his friends knew he was trying to meet me they’d force him to leave without a trace. So far I’ve only managed to keep up because of his little clues and less erratic flying, he barely </span>
  <span>knows me so I doubt he’d choose me over them. We begin moving along yet another mountain when we stumble to a stop. The path has been ruined, a rockslide takes up nearly half of its original width. The tracks also end here as it seems the Earthbenders left their steads in order to travel on foot. Uncle must be down there with them now, which means it’s my turn to join him and remind the Earthbenders that </span>
  <b>we</b>
  <span> are winning the war for a </span>
  <b>reason</b>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The young captain makes his way towards me, prancing about as two of his men hold me against a rock they propped up. He’s going on about hand crushing or something, but I really can’t be bothered to listen. I’m cold, they could have at least let me put on my clothes before they took me prisoner, did I already complain about that? Now that I think about it, this whole ‘pinned to a rock’ thing while someone smirks and babbles about superiority, it really brings back some fond memories of my early days in the military. Training was rough, but us young cadets had good times pranking each other while in the barracks, that being said many of the pranks against me went horribly wrong for the pranksters, after all I didn’t become a greatly respected general by being egged or wedgied, hahaha. Oh, is he still talking? “Sorry, young man, can you repeat all of that? I wasn’t listening, these ears can’t hear as well as they used to, you know.” That was a lie, I just didn’t feel like listening, and the face he’s making now is too hilarious for me to regret it, not that I would either way. He growls out to a soldier in front of me, “Just do it so we can get a move on! Try not to crush more than his arms, we want him alive for when we bring him to Ba Sing Se!” The soldier bends a large boulder above my chained arms; well that’s not good. “Hyah!” Ah, that is though! </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>My loveable nephew skips out of nowhere and kicks the boulder away before it can drop on me. He then uses his heel to completely shatter the chains that held me to the rock and turns to me, back to back. “Excellent form, Prince Zuko.” “You taught me well.” Aww, I never thought I’d get to have such endearing combat chatter with him, it reminds me of when I would joke and play around with my own son on the battlefield… Zuko has come a long way and will only grow, I am certain that he will make a great captain of his own battalion some day. “Surrender yourselves. It’s 5 against 2. You’re clearly outnumbered.” This man, how in the world did he gain status as a squad captain if he can’t even gauge the strength of his opponents? Zuko literally shattered steel with his boot, I am a seasoned war veteran, we’re Firebenders and royalty. “Uh, that’s true, but you are clearly outmatched.” They begin their assault as do we, using the chains they helpfully provided, I whip and smash the smaller projectiles that fly our way while Zuko mans the assault on the approaching soldiers on foot. He shoots flames out at two, knocking them down and stopping their fire, or their rocks, haha. Two soldiers behind him work together to throw a larger stone at him, but using the chains I spin it away and back to them, easily knocking them unconscious. That’s four down already, we haven’t even been fighting for five minutes! </span>
  <span>The captain launches boulders as quickly as he can at my nephew, who dodges and spins, kicking his leg out to spread flames to the man’s feet. He’s forced to dodge them which gives Zuko the upperhand, allowing him to launch even faster bending at him. Just as he catches himself and gets ready to bury Zuko, I pull his legs out from under him, causing him to lose focus and watch as the rocks fall on top of him instead. That makes five! I turn to him, pride filling me and showing in the grin on my face. He sighs in relief and places a hand on my shoulder. “Now, would you </span>
  <b>please</b>
  <span> put on some clothes?” Hahaha! Such a good boy, fighting with him almost makes me want to get back on the field! … Almost.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>After returning to the village and telling Katara that I was ok and that I knew how to get Sokka back, I told the villagers to go back inside and prepare for the night. The sun finally sets and the village is quiet again, except for the same near silent whispering that comes from behind me, the sound of the villagers whispering in fear and anticipation as they look sneakily through the boarded windows. This time, I wait outside the gate, the seal I made before having been erased due to the previous night’s scuffle. I don’t attempt to redraw it, I want the village to feel more inviting, I’m not going to try to force Hei Bai to bend to my will again. I won’t lie to the Black and White Spirit again, instead I’ll help it understand the truth. I close my eyes and listen to the wind, the sound of a wind chime ringing quietly and calmingly at my back. Hei Bai appears within the village behind me, satting at a house and screeching angrily. It quickly dashes to the town hall, clearly having figured out where the villagers are all hiding. I run up behind it, vault myself over its head, and reach out my hand. I faintly hear Katara yell out to me “Aang, what are you doing?”, but things go quiet when my hand meets Hei Bai’s head. I returned to that feeling I got from when Fang showed visions to me and did my best to copy that, to allow Hei Bai’s mind to reach into my own. Where my hand touches it glows, and for a moment I see Hei Bai, true Hei Bai, as it roars and I land on the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span><br/>“You’re the spirit of this forest. I now understand. You’re upset and angry because your home was burned down. It was taken from you. I understand how that feels. When I saw the forest had burned, I was sad and upset, but my friend gave me hope that the forest would grow back.” I take out from my pocket and show Hei Bai what Katara had shown me; in between my fingers was the small acorn, the precious acorn that she had given to me. I place it in front of me for Hei Bai to take, and the spirit calms as it grabs it gently in its massive fingertips. <em>She</em> sighs, and as Hei Bai turns to leave, her form shifts and slowly softens and shrinks, still large but calmer, friendlier, more at peace in her natural form. The Black and White <em>Panda</em> Spirit trots away and fades into the shadow beyond the gates, grunting as she returns to her home, content to wait for it to grow back. The gate is suddenly overgrown by strong and young bamboo shoots, from which the missing villagers and Sokka enter. “Sokka!” Katara exclaims, running to hold her brother, who gladly hugs back, confused as to how he got there. “What happened?” “You were trapped in </span>
  <span>the Spirit World for 24 hours. How are you feeling?” “Like I seriously need to use the bathroom.” Yup, that’s definitely Sokka alright. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>After getting back from his bathroom break and after the villagers have reunited with their families and friends, they gather in front of the town hall to speak with us before we leave. “Thank you, Avatar. If only there were a way to repay you for what you’ve done.” “You could give us some supplies and some money.” “Sokka!” “What?! We need stuff.” The town chief bows his head and replies “It would be an honor to help you prepare for your journey.” He walks away to speak with some other villagers about gathering supplies for us as Katara turns towards me. “I’m so proud of you, Aang. You figured out what you had to do all on your own.” I face her fully, happy at the praise but guilty at the falseness of it. “Actually, I did have a little help. And there’s something else.” Sokka becomes interested at my hesitation to continue. “What is it?” “I need to talk to Avatar Roku, and I think I found a way to contact his spirit.” The siblings respond with their own respective enthusiasms, “That’s great!” “Creepy, but great.” “There’s a temple on a crescent-shaped island, and if I go there on the solstice, I’ll be able to speak with him.” Ok, difficult part about to be explained, let’s hope they don’t just abandon me now with how crazy it sounds. “But the solstice is tomorrow.” “Yeah, and there’s one more problem. The island is in the Fire Nation.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Elsewhere in the forest, Iroh wonders to himself about the boy and the dragon he saw. The dragon reminded him of something else in his past, it reminded him of the disapproving face of his nephew's ancestor, haunting his dreams ever since his retreat from Ba Sing Se. It reminded him of the curse he put on his family, a curse that came from his own pride and arrogance during his youth, it reminded him of the promise he made to a sad and scared mother who would do anything to protect her son...</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 7: Winter Solstice- Avatar Roku</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>After watching the flying bison approach the horizon and noting their directional path, my men and I make our way to the village. Arriving there and seeing the state it’s in is shocking, to say the least, but otherwise I rushed over to a door that had just been opened. Suddenly appearing in front of the man who had exited, I grasped by his shirt collar and turned him to face me. The man’s face flashes in fear and I use it to my advantage, growling out “Having trouble sleeping?” He stutters for a moment before I shove him back into his dilapidated home, continuing my questioning with “Seen the Avatar lately?” One thing that I’ve learned since beginning my pursuit is that anyone who isn’t Fire Nation or in need of quick coin won’t share what they know willingly with me. It isn’t hard to figure out why, after all, what would you do if a representative of your nation’s enemy was asking around about your savior who has miraculously returned after 100 years? So in order to get the information I need, I’m afraid I have to play into the role of “the enemy who does anything to defeat </span>
  <b>their</b>
  <span> enemy”. Scaring the man into telling me Aang is headed to Crescent Island isn’t difficult, and so we leave and head back to the ship to continue my pursuit.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s a good four hours we travel, at around the halfway mark of that having finally boarded the ship and sailing, that the dawn comes and makes it easier to spot the bison again. I don’t get too close and again, for a while it’s almost peaceful. Using the telescope set to the hand railing along the bridge, I watch as the bison flies quietly and calmly, its six legs dragging aimlessly behind it. I’m too far away and they’re too high up for me to get a good look at the passengers on the saddle, but I wonder how thrilling it might be to be that high up, gliding over the vast blue ocean. I can’t help but long for that feeling as the salted winds brush past my cheeks, almost beckoning me to jump off and leave gravity behind, for just a moment. Then, they are speeding up, and Uncle is coming up to my side with a disgruntled look on his face. “Sailing into Fire Nation waters. Of all the foolish things you’ve done in your 16 years, Prince Zuko, this is the most foolish.” I had already stopped listening at ‘foolish’ in order to stare into the telescope again with a thought itching at the back of my mind. “I have no choice, Uncle.” I answer simply, there’s no way he could understand how much this pursuit rides on our future, our nation’s future. “Have you completely forgotten that the Fire Lord banished you? What if you’re caught?” I can hear the concern in his voice, but my mind is set and his questions are foolish. “How could I possibly </span>
  <b>forget</b>
  <span> that my own father </span>
  <b>banished</b>
  <span> me? I’m chasing the Avatar, like he ordered me to, Father will understand why I crossed the-” Shit! The blockade! </span>
  <span>Uncle seems to miss my panic and continues on his reprimand of my actions, “You give him too much credit. My brother is not the understanding type.” Ignoring him again I frantically try to think of a way to warn them of the blockade without notifying Aang’s companions, or my own for that matter, of our previous agreement. Once I’ve made my decision I call out my orders, </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Helmsman, full steam ahead! Bring out the catapult and load it, prepare to take aim!” I run down to the starboard where the catapult has risen from the forehatch, an unlit projectile waiting in the bucket. One soldier pours hissing oil over the boulder sitting there and I prepare to light it when Uncle begins to complain. “Really, Prince Zuko, couldn’t you shoot them down with something more fragrant?” Sighing heavily and mumbling </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m not shooting them down</span>
  </em>
  <span> to myself, I light the projectile and it is quickly licked up in a blazing heat. “On my mark.” I tell them as I gesture to the helmsman to slow down just barely, letting them gain a slight lead. Once I deem it safe and know that the boulder will pass underneath them harmlessly, I cry out “Fire!” and watch it sail and arc over the exact point I wanted it. Despite it’s distance, the creature leans away and after a moment climbs higher into the sky, furthering its reach from the range of the catapults. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I doubt that was a good message, the Southern Water Tribe siblings probably hate me even more and the monk boy must be confused as to why I’m attacking. Hopefully I haven’t ruined my delicate relationship with the boy, who must be just as frustrated as I am at having to wait so long to speak with each other. It’d certainly be difficult to get away from the watchful eyes of the siblings and they all seem to be on a schedule, probably needing to reach their ultimate destination by a certain date, wherever and whenever that may be. The blockade is around 400 meters away now, and at the speed both my ship and the Avatar’s stead are going, it’ll take around 7 minutes till we collide or pass through. “Technically, you are still in Earth Kingdom waters. Turn back now and they cannot arrest you.” The day has just begun, I must have broken my last record with how many times I’ve sighed this morning. At 360 meters they speed up, clearly meaning to pass the blockade undeterred. “He’s not turning around. Neither will we.” Uncle looks more frustrated at my insistence, but it’s overshadowed by the worry that lies on top of it. “Please, Prince Zuko. If the Fire Nation captures you, there is nothing I can do. Do not follow the Avatar.” If only it were that simple, but I don’t have a choice. This is my chance, if they’re headed into the Fire Nation then I can offer guidance, I doubt they know the land as much as a native, they don’t even look like they have a map! “I’m sorry, Uncle. Run the blockade!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Fire Navy is run by the 300 Rule, this rule states that after a ship has passed the 300 meter mark between open ocean and the Fire Nation Oceanic Blockade without intention of stopping for inspection or showing hostile intent, then blockade ships are within their rights to open fire upon that ship. As such, battle begins and catapults begin to fire at both of our vessels. With all of the smoke and clouds, I lose sight of the bison and instead focus on directing the ship out of harm's way. I believe in the Avatar’s ability to maneuver himself  across the blockade, so all I can do is get past it in one piece myself. For a moment I catch a glimpse of the bison fleeing even higher and watch as fiery comets follow behind it. A loud bang resound behind me and I curse myself for losing focus. “Prince Zuko, the engines are damaged! We need to stop and make </span>
  <span>repairs!” Damn it all, if we stop now we’ll be caught and dragged in, I’ll never get another chance to see him again because I’ll be locked up in a prison cell! “Do not stop this ship! Make whatever repairs you can, take whatever men are available, and keep my ship from blowing up!” The ship has reached around 230 meters from the blockade, making it crunch time: this is the make or break, if we manage to get a clear opening at 100 meters we’ll make it through. Just in case, I prep the catapult for another round, I have a feeling we might need it.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Lo and behold I spot a small </span>
  <em>
    <span>something</span>
  </em>
  <span> falling from the sky and a blur of white following it. The sound of screaming and hands pulling them in, it seems some turbulence from the attack knocked off one of the passengers. Thankfully, they all return to be seated safely, or it would be safe were it not for a flaming heap of rock hurtling towards them. I scream out “Fire!” and cut the rope myself, praying that it lands its mark. The two missiles connect and the bison is home stretch, passing the blockade without any other hassle. I watch in relief as they whiz away, only to be brought back to the present by the sense of dread I get at the sputtering engine. We’re losing speed and the blockade ships are gaining it, at the 100 mark I don’t see an opening, not if we continue at the speed we’re going and especially not if we lose even more of it. “We’re on a collision course!” Really, Uncle?! Not the best time! “We can make it. We can make it.” All I can do is repeat that to myself until I notice who’s ship we’re headed for. It’s Zhaos, as in “I kicked your ass” Zhao’s, and then the ships slow down. As we pass through the close gap he’s made, we lock eyes, and I have never been more disgusted in my life, not even the time I saw Uncle naked. He wants something, I mean he always does, but this time especially. Why let us pass? Ah, I see, he thinks I know where the Avatar is headed and wants to follow us using the smoke trail from our ship. He’s right, I do know where they’re headed, but if he thinks he can ruin all of my hard work and reap the rewards for himself, </span>
  <b>he’s wrong</b>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It takes us up to the beginning of sunset before we reach the island, and boy is it a sight to behold. “There it is-- the island where Roku’s dragon, Fang, took me.” The island looks as if it’s made out of molten rock, which it probably is, and a massive volcano rests on the south eastern dip of it reaching deep into the center curve. The temple itself rests along a tall ridge that protrudes from the stone at the base of the volcano, a deep red five-tiered pagoda styled tower. We land Appa around the base of the wall and stretch our legs, getting ready to sneak up there and finally meet Avatar Roku. “You did it, buddy. Nice flying.” Appa rolls over onto his side, snoring loudly and dramatically draping a paw over his eyes. Katara plays along with his acting, petting his belly and cooing “Aww, you must be tired.” Sokka, stretching, responds dumbly “No, I’m good. Refreshed and ready to fight some Firebenders.” “... I was talking to Appa.” Sokka freezes and retorts “Well, </span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> was talking to Momo.” After a few chuckles and Momo’s supposedly clueless lilt of the head, we start hiking up the ridge as silently and quickly as we can.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once we’ve made it to the front of the building, we stop to get a good look at it’s gold and red face. “I don’t see any guards.” Sokka points out, and Katara adds in “The Fire Nation must have abandoned the temple when Avatar Roku died.” This is where they are both wrong, and where I correct them. “Temples aren’t just abandoned unless there are extreme changes to the religion the nation has deemed its national religion. Since I’ve heard soldiers talk about Agni before, that means there are definitely still people in the temple. As for there being no soldiers, of course there aren’t, there has always been a non-military agreement when it comes to temples dedicated to great spirits and the Avatars. The Fire Sages are responsible for the upkeep and protection of the temples, but there aren’t nearly as many here at this one as there used to be. Anyways, it’s almost sun down. We’d better hurry.” We race up the steps and enter through a large doorway surrounded by the emblem fire of Agni. A chill races up my spine and a shrill thought rings in the back of my head, terrifying in it’s message; </span>
  <em>
    <span>Agni isn’t here anymore</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Spirits as great as Agni don’t just abandon their temples like that, something terrible must have happened for her to lose faith in it. I try not to let my sudden fear show as we enter into the main corridor.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As we creep quietly across the open floor, Sokka whispers to us cautiously. “Wait. I think I heard something.” Turning behind us, we are met with a group of old Fire Sages who look considerably upset at seeing us. “We are the Fire Sages, guardians of the Temple of The Avatar.” “Great. I am the Avatar.” Hurgh, that hurt to say. “We know.” And now there is fire, lots of fire screaming towards us. I begin whipping air at the onslaught of flames, redirecting their path away. “I’ll hold them off. Run!” As Sokka, Katara, and Momo race towards one of the tunnels, I twist around and sweep my foot out towards them, knocking all of the sages to the ground. While following my friends, I hear the leader shouting “If the Avatar contacts Roku, there’s no telling how powerful the boy will become.” I’m too far away at that point to hear the rest, but I’m pretty sure that means they’ll be searching for us. Oh dear…</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <span>I manage to catch up to the others and cut them off, yelling for them to follow me as I take a left. “Do you know where you’re going?” Sokka yells back. “Nope!” Running down another left, I immediately come face first to a Fire Sage, turn around, and shout “Wrong way!” We run back and take random turns as the sage calls to us “Come back!” After about 3 different turns we slide into a dead end, the sage blocking our exit. “I don’t want to fight you. I am a friend.” We all lower ourselves into fighting positions, “Firebenders aren’t our friends.” Well, maybe not yet Sokka, ahaha… He walks closer and then bows on his knees to me, catching us all off guard. It feels weird to be bowed to, you’re technically not supposed to kowtow to even the Avatar, since they’re meant to be treated as equals. Me </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> being them makes it feel even weirder and awkward. “I know why you’re here, Avatar.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Urk-</span>
  </em>
  <span> “You do?” He rises from his position on the floor and responds, “Yes. You wish to speak to Avatar Roku. I can take you to him.” That’s not at all suspicious. “How?” The sage moves to the wall on the right and moves a lamp to the side, he places his hand there over a hidden hole and huffs, smoke rising out of it and pouring from the </span>
  <span>sides of a hidden panel door, which is now open. “This way.” We hear the other sages getting closer and shouting orders to one another, helping us make our decision to trust this sage sparingly. Once we’ve entered, he uses a lever to close the door behind us, sealing us into the tunnel. Leading us down the tunnel and a long flight of stairs, the Fire Sage begins speaking to fill the empty space between us all. “Avatar Roku once called this temple his home. He formed these secret passages out of the magma.” I keep up the conversation, curious “Did you know Avatar Roku?” “No, but my grandfather knew him. Many generations of Fire Sages guarded this temple long before me. We all have a strong spiritual connection to this place.” I expected as much, shrine and temple families are much more abundant than most people think, it’s common to have lots of cousins and siblings between temple members since they spend most of their lives there. “Is that how you knew I was coming?” “A few weeks ago, an amazing thing occurred. The statue of Avatar Roku-- its eyes began to glow.” After hearing that, Katara chimes in “That’s when we were at the Air Temple. Avatar Roku’s eyes were glowing there, too.” “At that moment, we knew you had returned to the world.” Yikes, if only that were true. “If this is the Avatar’s temple, why did the other sages attack me?” And what I feared before is confirmed, “Things have changed. In the past, the sages were loyal only to the Avatar. When Roku died, the sages eagerly awaited for the next Avatar to return, but he never came.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>… Oh, so it’s my fault that this happened… I mean, I already knew that all of this was my fault, but to think I caused this too, that I made the Fire Sages lose hope in my master’s return? How can I ever hope to be forgiven for this, this travesty I’ve caused… “They were waiting for the Avatar that whole time.” Sokka slaps his hand on my shoulder and jokes “Hey, don’t feel bad. You’re only 100 years late.” The sage continues, “They lost hope that the Avatar would ever return.When Fire Lord Sozin began the war, my grandfather and the other sages were forced to follow him. I never wanted to serve the Fire Lord. When I learned you were coming, I knew I would have to betray the other sages.” “Thank you, so much, for helping me.” I bow solemnly, I can only imagine what kind of punishment he’ll receive if he’s caught. He knows it too, and smiles sadly but grateful to my gesture. We reach the end of the long lava filled corridor to another set of stairs going up. “We’ll follow these stairs to the sanctuary. Once you’re inside, wait for the light to hit Avatar Roku’s statue. Only then will you be able to speak with him.” We finally reach the top and are met with another sliding panel above our heads. The sage goes first and then signals to us that it’s safe to follow. As we walk towards a great iron door, the sage gasps and shuffles closer to it. “Hey, what’s wrong?” “The sanctuary door’s-- they’re closed.” Sokka moves to look at the intricate dragon shaped gears on the front and sides of it while Katara questions “Can’t you just open them with Firebending, like you opened that other door?” He sighs, “No. Only a fully realized Avatar is powerful enough to open this door alone. Otherwise, the sages must open the doors together with five simultaneous fire blasts." </span>
  <span>Sokka, with his hand on his chin and a pensive expression, ponders out loud “Five fire blasts, huh? I think I can help you out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After traveling nearly the full day, the ship is finally coming up close enough for me to enact my plan. “You do realize that General Zhao is using you to find your prize and claim it, Prince Zuko?” “His plan is as obvious as a toddlers, Uncle, so yes, I am fully aware. If he wants to follow our smoke trail then let him, I’ll be too busy going after the Avatar for him to notice.” Uncle Iroh looks at me then, still with an upset look on his face, “What do you mean by that, Nephew?” “Just watch.” I pace into the interior of the ship and order for the small speedboat to be ready to set sail for me. After about 15 minutes, I get confirmation that it’s ready to go and head over to board. “Uncle, keep heading north. Zhao will follow the smoke trail while </span>
  <b>I</b>
  <span> use it as a cover.” He brushes his beard through his fingers, shaking his head but giving in. As the larger ship fades into the smoke, I change course to start heading East, to Crescent Island, where I’ll finally be able to confront the monk boy alone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This is a little trick I picked up from my father. I seal the lamp oil inside an animal skin casing. Shyu, the Fire Monk, lights the oil-soaked twine, and ta da! Fake Firebending!” Sokka holds out the tightly wrapped bag with a flourish of his hands and Katara comments “You’ve really outdone yourself this time, Sokka.” Shyu, who’s name we finally got after he awkwardly remembered he never told it to us, murmured to himself “This might actually work.” And so, we all planted the bags into the dragon-locks mouths and went to take cover behind the pillars ten feet away. “The sages will hear the explosion, so as soon as they go off, you rush in.” Shyu takes up his stance at the right side of the door and cautiously begins to aim. “It’s almost sunset. Are you ready?” Katara asks. I nod my head to her and reply “Definitely.” With a final confirmation, the sage lights the fuses and runs back to the same pillar as me. The bags, just as they were made to do, explode with a flash of light and smoke that causes us all to turn away and flinch for a moment. I then run to the door through the smoke and pull the handle, but it doesn’t give way. “They’re still locked!” I shout back. The Fire Sage sighs to himself, “It didn’t work.”</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <span>We walk up to the doors and examine what could have gone wrong. I huff and let out a crisp round of air in frustration, but I know I can’t just give up yet. Sokka runs a finger down the door, covering it in soot. “I don’t get it. That blast looked as strong as any Firebending I’ve ever seen.” Momo climbs up into one of the mouths and takes his best shot at understanding things too. Katara, on the other hand, looks up with bright eyes and exclaims “Sokka, you’re a genius!” “Wait. How is Sokka a genius? His plan didn’t even work.” “Come on, Aang. Let her dream.” She rolls her eyes and places her hands on her hips, looking back up to the doors, saying “You’re right. Sokka’s plan didn’t work, but it </span>
  <b>looks</b>
  <span> like it did.” I turn to the doors again and take note of </span>
  <span>the soot and burned metal, beginning to realize what she’s thinking. “I get it, it </span>
  <em>
    <span>looks</span>
  </em>
  <span> like it worked, which means it </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span> work, right?” “Exactly.” Shyu and Sokka look perplexed, the sage piping up “Um, am I missing something?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It’s an odd but welcome opportunity to not be greeted at the door by the Fire Sages, those old men never liked me the way I never liked them, but besides that it makes it easier to infiltrate the building unnoticed. It has been just the five of them for as long as I can remember, but even then they are quite formidable and difficult to hide from. I carefully run up the stairs in order to reach the temple room, knowing that that must be where Aang is headed. As I arrive on the stairwell connecting the fourth and fifth floors, though, I hear the sages scurrying up as one calls out to the others. Once they’ve exited the stairs, I quietly make my own way up, stalking behind them unnoticed. The youngest of the sages, and the kindest if my memory serves me right, shouts at the head of the group “Come quickly! The Avatar has entered the sanctuary!” He points to the scorched doors, now locked in front of them, as the others question amongst themselves. “How did he get in?” the eldest asks. “I don’t know, but look at the scorch marks, and down there.” I can’t see what he points to at the base of the door,  but considering the small amount of light from the cracks it’s most likely the shadow of a figure peeking through. “He’s inside. Open the doors immediately before he contacts Avatar Roku.” They busy themselves with preparing to open the door, but behind them my eyes spot movement. It’s the boy, clearly not inside the sanctuary, but preparing to jump in the moment he can. I highly doubt he’ll be able to close the doors in time, and I doubt even further that his little friends will be strong enough to help him escape capture.</span>
</p><p>
  <span><br/>So, what do I do? I silently slide my way over and grab his hands in front of him and cover his mouth. “Don’t move until I tell you too, and play along when we step forward.” I feel him freeze at my touch, but he soon relaxes when he recognizes my voice and the side of my face. The monk boy nods in agreement and I feel the tension in his muscles fade, letting his hands stay limp. The doors locks creak as they twist and turn, the doors moaning as they are released and allowed to swing inwards. “It’s the Avatar’s lemur.” “He must have crawled through the pipes. We’ve been tricked!” Said lemur strikes and attaches itself to one sage’s face, while the Water Tribe siblings grab two others and flip their robes over their heads. The last two free monks are the eldest and youngest, the youngest taking his superior down before he can aid the others. He shouts, “Now, Aang!” and I’m surprised to hear it. Well, not <b>that</b> surprised, some people are still loyal to the Avatar after all. “Aang, now’s your chance!” I turn to the boy and whisper “Ready? Go.” and we step forward. “Not so fast.” I announce to the room, all turning quiet in shock at my sudden appearance. Aang struggles weakly against my hold, clearly to me that he isn’t actually trying to escape me. “The Avatar’s coming with me.” In the seconds following, the Royal Crown loyal sages turn around and capture the stunned allies of Aang. I walk closer to the doors, </span>
  <span>preparing to step inside. “Young prince! Where do you think you’re going? You can’t take the Avatar in there! He is trying to contact-” “</span>
  <b>Do you think I don’t know that?! Do you take me for a fool? </b>
  <span>Out of my way! I must wait for my men to reach us before taking the Avatar into my custody, I won’t make the mistake of transporting him without back up again! Once we’ve entered, you’ll lock the doors behind us and I will ensure that he cannot make contact with his predecessor. </span>
  <b>Am I made clear?</b>
  <span>” The elder nods, allowing me to pass and enter the temple sanctuary with him. As I pass, I glare menacingly as the doors shut behind us. Turning I pause, “Oh, and one last thing; no one is to enter this room without my approval, </span>
  <b>no one</b>
  <span>.” The doors shut fully and the resounding creaks and clicks of the locks fade. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Once I’m certain that no one will try and enter again, I release Aang from my grip. “Zuko! You’re here! Thanks for the help, I totally wasn’t expecting it.” I smile softly and return “You’re welcome, I honestly didn’t think I’d get to catch up to you. Glad I could help with whatever it is you’re trying to do. I’m guessing your friends still don’t know of our plans?” The boy looks away shyly, guilt clearly written on his face. Aang is a bit of an open book it seems, at least on the surface. “I-I wanted to tell them, and I plan to! Eventually! But- I just-- there hasn’t really been a good time, I’m sorry I’ve made you wait so long.” “It’s alright, I understand, you haven’t exactly had a reason to trust me up until now anyways, and I highly doubt your friends will after all of that just now. I’m just glad to know that you still want to talk to me.” Aang grins from cheek to cheek and nods happily, but then quickly turns and looks up at the large statue of Roku that is now emblazoned by sunlight. Turning back to me, Aang apologetically tells me “But, I can’t now, I have something really important to do, I’m so sorry Zuko.” Looking up at the statue myself, I then place a hand on his shoulder and look into his precious eyes. “It’s alright, I understand, just make it quick. I’m not sure how long those sages will believe my lie, they could burst in at any moment. If they do I’ll watch out for you as best as I can without blowing my cover.” He nods and steps up to the statue, it’s golden and stern face towering over this </span>
  <em>
    <span>child</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Mumbling to himself, I hear “The light hits the statue, and I talk to Roku. Simple, easy.” </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Aang stands in the center of the sun on the floor, takes a deep breath, and then goes to sit with his legs crossed and hands turned palms up. It takes a moment of his steady breathing for me to realize that he’s meditating, and then the strangest thing happens. The statue's eyes light up and the wind picks up around Aang’s still form, only there is nowhere for the wind to come from except him. His eyes begin to glow, too, and a faint whispering begins to fill the room. My head feels light, I can just barely make out what the whispering is saying, yet I still can’t make the words make sense in my mind. It’s like they’re speaking in another language that I’d only just begun to study, only able to partially recognize some words or others. Crouching down next to him, I see his lips quiver in half-formed words with no sound, as if he’s speaking to someone in his sleep. Perhaps that’s what this state is, a kind of sleep, which makes him extremely vulnerable. I stand back up and move back to the door, far enough away that if they swing open I </span>
  <span>won’t get hit but close enough that I can keep others from entering and reaching him. Trying to focus on the whispering only gives me a headache, so I instead keep quiet and focus on protecting the Avatar should the sages grow tired of waiting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Being chained up with your brother to an uneven and studded pole isn’t exactly the pinnacle of comfort, especially when your best friend has been kidnapped by the scary and mean prince of the Fire Nation and you have no way of rescuing him! The other sages surround Shyu’s downed form, questioning “Why did you help the Avatar?” “Because it was once the sage’s duty. It is still our duty.” “Wrong! Our duty is to serve the Royal Crown, to serve Fire Lord Ozai!” Clapping echoes through the chamber and a man with pointed features, dark hair, and a sinister smile on his face approaches us with a group of soldiers behind him. I’m guessing these are that royal pain’s back up. “What a moving and heartfelt performance. I’m certain the Fire Lord will understand when you explain why you betrayed him.” The sages all take a step back, even Shyu looks afraid at the man’s appearance, and the oldest one starts “Commander Zhao, the prince is with the Avatar, everything is under control--” before being cut off. Commander Zhao continues “And, Prince Zuko, it was a noble effort, but that little smokescreen of his didn’t work. Two traitors in one day, how exciting. The Fire Lord will be pleased.” Wait, traitor? Is it because the prince was banished? Zuko probably isn’t allowed to enter the Fire Nation, but wouldn’t his father be pleased that he </span>
  <b>caught</b>
  <span> the Avatar? I don’t have time to wonder about this because Shyu leaps up, his arms being locked behind him by a soldier while he shouts “You’re too late! The Avatar is inside, and the doors are sealed.” “No matter. Sooner or later, he has to come out, they both do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>______________________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p>
  <span><br/>It’s been at least five minutes and I can’t help but feel anxious while waiting for Aang to finish speaking to Avatar Roku. His eyes continued to glow, dimming when calm but sparking up when something must have surprised him or made him nervous. His breathing hitches slightly, the mumbling from before coming to a halt, and at last his eyes close and the light fades. It’s far too quiet outside the doors, the sages must know by now of my lies, getting out will be difficult. As he stands and squares his shoulders, the arrows along his body begin to glow harsher than his eyes had before, and I begin to feel an itching on the back of my neck and underneath my scar. Before I know it, I’m blinded by the glow and feel myself slip away into some unknown place. I am no longer myself, just like before, <b><em>I am more, I am not alone</em></b>. I see Avatar Roku, I watch his hands move and feel the flames spit out of them, mighty like a dragon’s. I’ve never met a dragon, they went extinct before I could, but I know from this feeling that this is how it would feel to hold its power. His hands move, his eyes unblinking, without taking a single step I feel the earth give way to scorching starlight and heat. By the time I can see and feel again, I’m back on my ship and watching the tower crumble and burn, and I feel accomplishment at the sight as if I had </span>
  <span>toppled it myself. My telescope already in my hands somehow, I spot the diminishing shape of the Flying Bison and it’s passengers safely headed back towards Earth Kingdom territory. Checking underneath the plating by my wrist, I instinctively know there is a note, and so it reads ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>Wait for me again. Follow me and wait.</span>
  </em>
  <span>’ And so I wait, and when I’ve rejoined my crew, I follow again, knowing that I’m going in the right direction. I no longer need a map or the sight of them to guide me, my destiny will show me the way.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So sorry for the late chapters, I will be adjusting my schedule to around two chapters a month for now until I am able to reorganize my schedule. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter!</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I hope you made it this far and enjoyed! Don't know if I'll make a discord server for this but if I do I'll post the link in the notes here. If you have any questions go ahead and leave them in the comments! I will do my best to answer them as long as the answers aren't spoilers ;) My tumblr account is dr-syko-pharm-4 and my asks and dms are open! I have no idea how AO3 works but I'll try my best! So sorry if the spacing is weird &gt;_&lt;</p></blockquote></div></div>
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